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ART  AND  ECONOMY  IN 
HOME  DECORATION 


“HAVE  NOTHING  IN  YOUR  HOUSES  THAT  YOU  DO  NOT  KNOW  TO  BE  USEFUL, 
OR  BELIEVE  TO  BE  BEAUTIFUL."  William  Morris. 


Art  and  Economy  In 
Home  Decoration 


BY 

MABEL  TUKE  PRIESTMAN 


NEW  YORK 

JOHN  LANE  COMPANY 
MCMV1II 


Copyright,  1908,  by 

JOHN  LANE  COMPANY 


MY  MOTHER 

HAS  TAUGHT  ME  FROM  CHILDHOOD 
TO  LOVE  AND  APPRECIATE 
BEAUTIFUL  THINGS 


\ 

PREFACE 

I  have  endeavored  in  this  volume  to  assist 
my  reader  to  solve  some  of  the  various  prob¬ 
lems  of  house  furnishing,  and  to  induce  the 
homemaker  to  think  for  herself  as  to  what  is 
to  be  avoided  and  what  to  be  made  use  of. 

It  is  really  a  difficult  task  to  furnish  a  house 
properly.  It  requires  serious  thought,  and  a 
knowledge  of  color  and  harmony,  and  a  cer¬ 
tain  refinement  and  simplicity  of  taste  which 
are  not  always  easy  to  acquire;  and  therefore 
it  is  well  worth  while  to  go  to  a  little  trouble 
to  learn  the  best  way  of  doing  this. 

In  my  twelve  years’  experience  as  an  interior- 
decorator  I  have  come  across  problems  in 
house  furnishing  of  almost  every  kind,  and 
this  book  is  the  result  of  my  experience. 

Portions  have  already  appeared  in  maga¬ 
zines,  and  I  take  this  opportunity  of  thank- 

[7] 


Preface 


ing  the  editors  of  Country  Life  in  America , 
American  Homes  and  Gardens ,  House  and 
Garden ,  The  International  Studio ,  Ameri¬ 

can  Home  Monthly,  and  The  New  York  Herald 
for  their  courtesy  in  allowing  me  to  republish 
them. 


[8] 


CONTENTS 

PART  ONE 

PAGE 


Preface  7 

I.  Introduction  11 

II.  Choosing  a  Color  Scheme  19 

HI.  How  to  Treat  Walls  Successfully  28 

IV.  Concerning  Halls  43 

V.  A  Few  Points  to  Remember  when 

Buying  Carpets  and  Rugs  49 

VI.  Characteristics  of  Oriental  Rugs  59 

VII.  Home-made  Rugs  75 

VIII.  How  to  Stain  Floors  86 

IX.  Furniture  91 

X.  The  Right  Use  of  Ornament  on 

Furniture  97 

XI.  Casement  Windows  and  Their 

Treatment.  Fireplaces  105 


XII.  What  to  Use  for  Portieres  and 

Curtains  in  the  Country  House  115 

[9] 


Contents 


XIII.  Shelving,  Pictures,  and  Bric-a- 


brac  I2^ 

XIV.  Lamps  and  Candle  Shades  138 

XV.  Needlework  in  the  Hands  of  a 

Craftsman  x44 

XVI.  Finishing  Touches  154 


XVII.  Ornamenting  Fabrics  by  Means 
of  Stencilling  and  Block  Print¬ 
ing  I(V 

XVIII.  Arranging  Flowers  Artistically  179 


PART  TWO 


XIX.  What  to  Avoid  in  the  Home  187 

XX.  Cottages  by  the  Sea  or  Lake  192 

XXL  The  Decoration  of  a  Modern  Sub¬ 
urban  House  1 97 

XXII.  Describing  some  Interesting 

Rooms  204 

XXIII.  How  Some  Craftworkers  Fitted 

up  Their  Home  211 

[  10] 


art  and  economy  in 

HOME  DECORATION 


CHAPTER  I 
Introduction 

This  volume  is  intended  as  a  practical 
assistance  to  those  of  moderate  incomes.  It 
is  undeniable  that  there  exists  in  almost 
every  one  a  sense  of  color  value.  This  may 
be  subconscious,  and  yet  it  is  so  much  a  factor 
in  our  daily  lives  that  I  have  chosen  color  as 
the  groundwork  of  my  effort  to  point  the  way 
toward  the  successful  decoration  of  the  home. 

In  looking  back  over  the  last  fifteen  or 
twenty  years  we  can  see  for  ourselves  that  the 
taste  of  the  community  has  improved  in  a 
wonderful  way.  This  may  partially  be  ac¬ 
counted  for  by  the  fact  that  magazines  and 
newspapers,  realizing  what  people  want,  try 
to  give  practical  help  that  will  be  of  value  in 
the  home,  not  only  in  cooking  and  dress- 

[ii] 


Home  Decoration 

making,  but  also  in  decoration.  This  they  do 
by  describing  successful  homes  and  giving 
illustrations  of  good  interiors. 

Perhaps  nothing  shows  such  an  improve¬ 
ment  as  quality  in  color.  At  one  time  it 
was  rare  to  find  a  house  that  was  in  perfect 
harmony  throughout.  Certain  rooms  might 
chance  to  have  a  good  color  sense,  but  this 
was  more  often  accidental  than  carefully 
brought  about.  So  many  crude  colors  in 
draperies  and  carpetings  were  put  on  sale 
that  it  was  difficult  even  for  those  gifted  with 
knowledge  of  color  to  gain  the  best  effects , 
but  to-day  we  cannot  make  this  excuse  because 
there  is  such  a  large  variety  of  shades  of  each 
color,  and  many  of  them  are  so  beautiful  in 
tone  that  practically  any  good  color  scheme 
can  be  evolved;  so  that  there  is  encourage¬ 
ment  to  learn  how  to  combine  or  oppose  colors 
into  compositions  which  appeal  to  the  eye 
and  satisfy  our  sense  of  color. 

We  have  lived  through  the  hand-painted 
craze,  when  nothing  was  safe  from  the  would- 
be  artist,  whether  in  the  form  of  a  rolling-pin 
or  a  coal-scuttle.  Having  survived  this  stage, 
the  drapery  epidemic  overtook  us ;  “  tidies  on 

[12] 


Introduction 

the  chairs,  “draperies”  on  the  mantel,  and 
“throws”  on  the  furniture.  Curtains  of  heavy 
texture,  trimmed  and  looped,  drained  the 
pocket-book  and  were  the  torture  of  dis¬ 
criminating  minds. 

Next  the  bric-a-brac  habit  overcame  us. 
Dreadful  overmantels  with  cubby-holes  were 
put  on  the  market.  They  were  naturally 
overladen  with  useless  vases  and  imitation 
Dresden  figures.  There  were  many  useful 
ornaments  to  choose  as  substitutes,  such  as 
beautiful  jars  with  rich-shaded  coloring,  fitted 
with  bronze  vases  to  hold  lamp  oil,  yet  the 
knicknack  was  preferred.  Such  articles  as 
clocks,  lamps,  inkwells,  photograph  frames, 
candle-sticks,  and  flower-holders  can  all  be 
objects  of  beauty,  and  by  being  objects  of 
beauty  in  themselves  can  take  the  place  of 
so-called  ornaments. 

Yet  we  certainly  have  made  progress  in 
the  last  fifteen  years.  It  is  not  so  very  long 
ago  that  the  accepted  decorations  for  dining¬ 
rooms  were  pictures  of  still  life,  in  heavy  gilt 
frames.  We  all  remember  those  caricatures 
of  fruit,  of  abnormal  size,  on  dishes  carefully 

placed  on  a  white  table-cloth,  with  all  the 

[13] 


Home  Decoration 


creases  artfully  depicted.  Happily  we  have 
outgrown  such  decorations  because  our  taste 
is  better  and  people  are  beginning  to  think 
for  themselves.  Nevertheless,  bad  things  do 
go  on  year  after  year,  because  people  accept 
them.  Why  do  most  people  buy  highly 
polished  furniture,  which  is  not  only  inartistic, 
but  very  unserviceable  ?  Is  it  laziness  or  poor 
taste  ?  The  manufacturer  can  just  as  easily 
make  furniture  with  a  dull  finish.  It  is  all  a 
question  of  the  public  demand. 

Again,  the  pillow  epidemic  is  still  in  full 
sway.  Fortunately,  beautiful  pillows,  well- 
designed  furniture,  rugs  of  rich,  good  coloring, 
and  artistic  draperies  are  to  be  found  by  those 
who  have  the  taste  to  select  what  is  good. 

Homes  are  apt  to  lack  simplicity  because 
the  furnishings  have  been  chosen  without 
regard  for  one  another.  The  pictures  on  the 
walls,  the  ornaments  on  shelves  and  tables, 
the  carpets  and  rugs  upon  the  floors,  the 
draperies  at  windows  and  doors,  contend,  as 
it  were,  for  preeminence,  and  defeat  the  effect 
of  harmony.  The  accessories  in  a  room  should 
be  subordinated  to  the  colors  so  as  to  enhance 

and  not  interfere  with  the  general  effect. 

[14] 


Introduction 

Until  this  fact  is  understood  it  is  impossible 
to  get  the  desired  results. 

A  law  of  composition  persistently  violated 
in  our  homes  is  the  law  of  contrast.  That 
plainness  gives  value  to  ornament  in  the  same 
way  that  darkness  adds  brilliancy  to  light  is  a 
truth  that  few  realize.  A  beautiful  picture 
placed  by  itself  on  a  plain  wall  surface  will 
look  infinitely  better  than  if  surrounded  by 
a  medley  of  insignificant  pictures  of  a  different 
style.  Our  common  sense  tells  us  not  to  put 
a  heavy,  rich  oil  painting  on  the  same  wall  as  a 
water  color  of  soft,  delicate  tones. 

The  first  step  toward  improving  the  home 
is,  then,  to  do  away  with  what  is  bad.  There 
is  more  danger  of  destroying  the  appearance 
of  a  room  by  overcrowding  than  by  bareness. 
We  have  all  felt  the  futility  of  adding  in  order 
to  improve.  A  clean  sweep  of  all  that  is  there, 
and  calm,  judicious  consideration  of  what 
should  be  allowed  to  go  back  again  is  the  only 
way  toward  reform.  The  questions  carefully 
and  faithfully  answered  should  be:  “Is  this 
beautiful?”  “Is  this  useful?”  Have  the 
strength  of  character  not  to  put  unnecessary 

ornaments  back  again  unless  they  come  up  to 

[15] 


Home  Decoration 

these  requirements.  It  is  a  false  art  that  takes 

away  from  the  convenience  and  homelike  feel- 
ing  of  a  room. 

A  cheerless  look  is  engendered  from  a  poor 
arrangement  of  the  furniture.  Time  is  well 
spent  in  placing  it  thoughtfully  with  the  prin¬ 
ciples  of  comfort  in  mind.  An  easy  chair 
should  be  where  the  best  light  will  fall  upon 
its  occupant,  whether  by  day  or  night.  The 
sofa  should  be  placed  in  the  best  position  for 
resting  and  reading,  and  not  so  overloaded 
with  pillows  as  to  preclude  comfort.  We  can¬ 
not,  we  must  not,  blunt  our  artistic  sensibilities 
by  allowing  in  our  homes  any  decoration  or 
piece  of  furniture  which  cannot  prove  its  right 
to  be  there.  The  question  naturally  arises. 
How  am  I  to  know  what  is  good  or  bad  ?  To 
some  this  knowledge  is  intuitive,  and  others 
have  it  not  at  all,  but  much  can  be  gained 
from  books  on  decoration.  The  spirit  of  art 
and  the  fundamental  laws  which  govern  it 
can  be  learned  by  reading  the  works  of 
masters  in  art  and  by  the  application  of  their 
views  to  our  individual  needs.  To  those  who 
are  conscious  of  unsuitable  and  inartistic 
surroundings,  the  task  is  half-accomplished. 

[16] 


Introduction 


American  women  are  so  quick  in  grasping 
opportunities  and  imbibing  the  best  of  what 
is  around  them  that  if  they  are  really  con¬ 
scious  of  a  need  of  reform  improvement  will 
come  quickly. 

In  Charles  Wagner’s  book,  “The  Simple 
Life,”  he  expresses  exactly  what  I  wish  to  con¬ 
vey.  “  It  is  very  certain,”  he  says,  “  that  the  cul¬ 
ture  of  the  fine  arts  has  something  moralizing, 
and  that  our  thoughts  and  acts  become  impreg¬ 
nated  at  length  by  that  which  strikes  our  eyes. 
But  the  exercise  of  the  arts  and  the  contem¬ 
plation  of  their  products  are  privileges  reserved 
to  a  few.  It  is  not  given  to  every  one  to 
possess,  to  understand,  or  to  create  beautiful 
things.  But  there  is  a  kind  of  human  beauty 
which  can  penetrate  everywhere:  the  beauty 
which  is  born  in  the  hands  of  our  wives  and 
daughters.  Without  that  beauty  what  is 
the  most  ornate  home  ?  A  cold  habitation. 
With  it  the  poorest  home  is  animated  and 
lighted.  Among  the  forces  capable  of  en¬ 
nobling  and  transforming  wills,  adding  to 
happiness,  there  is  perhaps  not  one  with  a 
more  universal  usage.  It  knows  how  to  make 

valuable  by  means  of  the  poorest  instruments, 

[17] 


2 


Home  Decoration 

and  amidst  the  worst  difficulties.  When  the 
room  is  small  and  the  family  purse  meagre, 
the  table  modest,  a  woman  who  has  this  gift 
finds  the  means  of  causing  order,  neatness, 
and  decorum  to  reign  there.  She  puts  care 
and  art  into  everything  she  undertakes.  To 
do  well  what  one  has  to  do  is  not  in  her  eyes 
the  privilege  of  the  rich,  but  the  right  of  all. 
It  is  for  that  that  she  employs  it,  and  that  she 
knows  how  to  endow  her  home  with  a  dignity 
and  a  pleasantness  which  the  more  fortunate 
homes,  where  everything  is  left  to  mercena¬ 
ries,  never  attain.” 

This  “human  beauty”  Charles  Wagner 
speaks  of  is  innate  in  most  of  us,  and  only 
needs  development  and  cultivation.  “Nature 
has  put  a  charming  art  in  the  fingers  of 
women.”  Can  we  not  remember  this  and 
strive  to  make  it  felt  in  our  daily  lives  and 
surroundings,  by  making  our  homes  livable 
and  appropriate  to  our  needs  ?  Let  us  avoid 
ostentatious  display,  and  cultivate  the  beauty 
of  harmony  and  simplicity. 


CHAPTER  II 


Choosing  a  Color  Scheme 

When  we  are  ready  to  decide  on  the  color 
scheme  of  our  rooms  we  have  a  very  hard 
problem  to  solve.  We  know  the  liability  there 
is  to  make  mistakes,  and  yet  too  often  we 
find  out  the  fault  when  it  is  too  late  to  rem¬ 
edy  it. 

Color  should  be  chosen  with  reference  to  the 
quantity  and  quality  of  light  which  enters  the 
room.  A  north  room,  as  it  has  little  sunshine, 
needs  bright,  warm  treatment — yellows,  reds, 
and  golden  browns — while  a  room  with  a 
southern  exposure  requires  cool,  light  colors — 
blues,  greens,  and  cool  gray  tones.  Some 
shades  of  green  can  be  used  with  good  results 
in  a  southern  room,  but  olive  greens  are  best 
suited  to  northern  exposures.  This  shade  is 
apt  to  be  brownish  at  night,  and  so  must  be 
considered  both  by  daylight  and  artificial  light. 

The  amount  of  daylight  that  permeates  a 
[  19  J 


Home  Decoration 

room  will  have  an  effect  on  the  depth  of  color 
to  be  used,  and  so  it  will  be  necessary  to  con¬ 
sider  all  colors  both  in  a  strong  light  and  in 
shadow.  I  need  hardly  add  that  by  artificial 
light  a  room  will  usually  be  darker  than  one 
expects.  Since,  therefore,  masses  of  color 
deepen  with  shadow,  it  is  well  not  to  have  the 
walls  too  strong,  but  to  have  the  strongest 
tone  for  floor  coverings  and  furniture.  The 
ceiling  in  all  cases  must  be  lighter  in  tone  than 
the  walls.  When  the  tones  are  well  balanced 
in  this  way  the  room  is  usually  successful. 

We  need  not  be  so  hampered  in  our  selec¬ 
tion  of  colors  for  rooms  that  face  east  and  west, 
as  practically  any  color  can  be  used  success¬ 
fully  in  them.  We  do  not  realize  how  all- 
important  it  is  to  have  the  wall  treatment 
satisfactory.  People  will  go  into  new  houses 
and  put  up  with  the  most  abominable  wall 
coverings  rather  than  re-paper  to  suit  their 
curtains,  furniture,  and  rugs;  and  will  cheer¬ 
fully  spend  three  times  the  amount  required 
for  new  paper  in  trying  to  pull  the  room  to¬ 
gether.  I  need  hardly  say  they  rarely  succeed 
in  gaining  the  desired  result. 

The  first  impression  of  a  room  depends  upon 
[  20  ] 


Choosing  a  Color  Scheme 

the  walls,  for  they  are  the  atmosphere,  as  it 
were,  and  make  the  room  pleasant  or  other¬ 
wise.  When  selecting  wall  papers,  violent, 
harsh  coloring  must  be  avoided.  Two-toned 
papers  are  very  desirable,  for,  if  soft  in  color, 
they  form  nearly  as  good  a  background  for 
pictures  as  plain  papers.  A  narrow-striped 
paper  gives  the  effect  of  height  to  a  room, 
but  a  large  design,  having  more  width  than 
depth,  serves  to  make  a  room  look  smaller 
and  lower.  Mouldings  and  dado  rails  break 
up  the  wall  spaces  and  are  valuable  factors 
in  wall  treatment.  If  the  room  is  too  high,  the 
ceiling  paper  can  be  brought  down  a  few 
inches  on  to  the  side  wall.  Never,  however, 
use  a  wall  paper  on  the  ceiling  and  bring  it 
down.  It  has  a  most  crushing,  overwhelming 
effect,  very  overpowering  to  sensitive  persons. 

Alas!  There  are  many  pitfalls  for  the  un¬ 
wary.  Sometimes  I  have  watched  people  buy¬ 
ing  paper  and  have  noticed  that  they  rarely 
have  curtain  material  or  furniture  coverings 
with  them  to  enable  them  to  choose  a  paper 
that  harmonizes  with  them.  They  do  not 
appreciate  that  they  must  be  considered  with 

reference  to  their  future  surroundings.  People 

[  21  ] 


Home  Decoration 


seldom  think  of  the  size  of  the  room  or  the 
exposure,  but  choose  rather  the  greatest  num¬ 
ber  of  violent  contrasts  when  trying  to  make 
their  house  attractive.  How  much  better  it 
would  be  to  get  tones  of  some  colors  that  are 
harmonious — brown  and  yellow  in  a  northern 
room,  with  brown  and  green  in  an  adjoining 
room,  and  so  on.  I  have  seen  a  pink  parlor 
leading  out  of  a  red  hall,  and  a  blue  living- 
room  leading  out  of  a  pink  parlor.  Each  room 
was  beautiful  in  itself,  suitably  furnished  in 
every  way,  and  no  expense  spared;  yet  this 
glaring  mistake  proclaimed  itself  the  moment 
the  threshold  was  crossed. 

Ornamentation  should  produce  a  pleasing 
impression  of  artistic  refinement,  without  call¬ 
ing  attention  to  the  beauty  of  a  detail  or  the 
capability  of  the  owners. 

As  a  rule,  it  is  the  woman  who  is  the  home¬ 
maker,  and  those  who  have  the  ambition  to 
make  their  homes  attractive  can  gain  no  little 
help  by  reading  up  the  subject  and  by  closely 
observing  the  harmony  of  colors. 

A  woman  of  resource  and  ingenuity  can 
work  wonders  with  a  very  limited  amount  of 

money  by  cultivating  her  taste  so  as  to  be 

[  22  ] 


Choosing  a  Color  Scheme 

able  to  discriminate  as  to  what  is  worthless 
and  what  is  good.  She  must  teach  herself  to 
care  for  pure  tones  and  good  backgrounds 
She  will  soon  learn  that  it  is  more  restful  and 
refreshing  to  go  into  a  room  with  cool  green 
walls,  white  paint,  wrought-iron  hardware 
a  carefully  chosen  rug,  than  into  one  with  loud 
walls,  gold  furniture,  brass  fixtures,  onyx 
tables,  and  large-patterned  carpet. 

Few  of  us  realize  how  color  affects  the  spirit  . 
Dark  and  gloomy  colors  cause  depression, 
while  bright  sunshiny  colors  bring  cheerfulness 
into  the  home.  In  starting  out,  therefore,  to 
decorate  a  house,  the  color  of  the  walls  should 
be  decided  first,  and  then  the  division  of  the 
walls  by  mouldings  or  panels,  lo  egin 
with  the  hall,  if  it  is  narrow,  red  should  no 
be  selected,  as  it  contracts  the  spaces  and  does 

not  light  up  well  at  night. 

In  a  small  house  it  is  well  to  decide  on  colors 
and  tones  that  blend  with  the  color  of  the  hall. 
If  the  hall  is  narrow  and  gloomy,  yellow  should 
he  chosen.  A  plain  yellow-felt  paper  above 
a  burlap  dado  of  deeper  yellow  or  tobacco 
brown  will  harmonize  with  a  dining-room  o 
brown  and  copper.  If  it  is  at  the  extreme 

[  23  1 


Home  Decoration 

end  of  the  hall,  it  will  apparently  increase  the 
size  of  the  hall. 

If  the  dining-room  is  ten  or  eleven  feet  high, 
the  plate-rail  might  be  hung  level  with  the  top 
of  the  door,  using  a  strong  plain  yellow  car¬ 
tridge  paper,  or  crinkled  felt  or  burlap.  A 
frieze  of  warm  coppery  tones  of  modern 
English  design  should  be  hung  from  the  plate- 
rail  to  the  picture  moulding,  on  a  level  with 
the  eye.  Below  the  picture  moulding,  brown 
burlap,  paint,  or  even  a  crinkled  brown  felt 
could  be  used.  Another  dado  could  be  sub¬ 
stituted,  by  dividing  the  walls  into  sections 
with  strips  of  wood  four  inches  wide,  nailed 
sixteen  or  eighteen  inches  apart.  These  strips 
could  be  placed  over  paint  or  burlap  and  be 
stained  to  match  the  rest  of  the  woodwork  of 
the  dining-room.  A  dull  brown  would  be  es¬ 
pecially  pretty  with  this  scheme. 

If  the  room  has  light-oak  woodwork,  it  can 
be  changed  at  a  small  cost  by  removing  the 
varnish  with  ammonia  and  applying  a  brown 
stain;  this  could  be  waxed  when  dry.  If  there 
is  a  low  ceiling,  the  same  idea  could  be  carried 
out  by  hanging  the  plate-rail  about  seven  feet 

from  the  floor,  instead  of  on  a  level  with  the  door. 

[  24  ] 


Choosing  a  Color  Scheme 

The  sitting-room  on  the  first  floor  should  be 
green  and  yellow,  which  would  give  a  feeling 
of  unity  with  the  hall,  whether  it  be  used  as 
a  reception-room  or  as  a  drawing-room.  A 
two-toned  green  paper  could  be  used  with 
yellow  hangings.  A  soft  yellowy  cream  tint 
on  the  ceiling  would  look  well. 

Probably  the  large  room  on  the  second  floor 
will  be  used  as  a  living-  or  morning-room,  and, 
if  so,  should  be  made  bright  and  pretty  by  the 
use  of  a  flowered  paper  of  old  rose  and  green, 
with  a  plain  base  of  grass  cloth,  jute,  or  denim 
hung  below  a  photograph-rail.  Following  out 
this  idea,  all  the  woodwork,  including  the 
corner  seat,  must  be  treated  with  an  ivory- 
white  paint. 

There  are  many  pretty  flowered  papers  for 
bedrooms.  Softness  of  tone  is  hard  to  find, 
but  may  be  secured  by  a  little  perseverance. 
English  and  French  papers  cost  the  most,  but 
are  much  softer  than  those  made  in  America. 
Some  of  the  domestic  have  narrow  colonial 
stripes,  which  may  be  found  among  the  fifteen- 
and  twenty-cent  papers.  They  are  extremely 
pretty.  They  can  be  hung  on  the  side  walls 

to  the  cornice;  but  if  the  room  is  very  high, 

[25] 


Home  Decoration 

a  frieze  of  plain  color  deeper  than  the  tint  of 
the  ceiling  would  be  preferable. 

When  a  house  is  being  built  it  is  a  great 
economy  to  have  the  scheme  of  color,  and 
plans  of  detail,  decided  before  the  building 
is  completed,  as  then  everything  could  be 
worked  together  to  produce  good  results.  The 
hardware  should  be  selected  early:  dull  brass 
with  green  woodwork,  bright  brass  with  white; 
or  if  the  woodwork  is  chestnut  or  oak,  and  the 
furniture  strong  in  character  and  design,  iron 
hardware  would  be  suitable. 

Instead  of  all  the  walls  having  a  last  coat 
of  smooth  plaster,  one  might  be  left  rough  and 
sanded.  The  hall  would  look  well  in  this 
way,  and  could  be  colored  or  left  the  original 
gray  of  the  plaster.  A  stencil  decoration,  if  of 
strong  tones  and  good  design,  would  add  to  its 
appearance.  The  living-room  might  be  de¬ 
cided  upon  as  more  suitable  for  gray  walls 
which  would  form  an  admirable  background 
for  pictures. 

It  is  a  great  improvement  to  a  room  to  have 
a  beamed  ceiling,  and  this  could  be  done 
without  cost  in  some  cases,  by  leaving  the 
joists  of  the  floor  above  uncovered.  These 

[26] 


Choosing  a  Color  Scheme 

could  be  finished  off  and  stained  brown.  A 
ceiling  paper  or  burlap  should  be  placed  be¬ 
tween  the  beams  and  run  down  to  the  top  of 
the  doors  to  join  the  picture  moulding.  A 
strong  treatment  is  necessary  for  a  room  of 
this  kind,  and  a  careful  selection  of  the  fur¬ 
niture  would  be  advisable. 

It  is  the  care  with  which  we  consider  the 
aspects  of  various  rooms  that  makes  up  the 
beauty  of  a  house  and  tends  to  give  us  har¬ 
mony  of  the  whole. 


CHAPTER  III 


How  to  Treat  the  Walls  Successfully 

It  is  always  a  difficult  problem  to  choose 
the  right  kind  of  wall  treatment  for  all  rooms 
and  all  purposes.  Plain  solid  colors  are  the 
best  backgrounds  for  pictures;  but  if  we 
do  not  possess  many  that  are  really  good 
figured  papers  would  be  a  better  choice,  as 
they  furnish  the  walls  without  the  aid  of 
pictures. 

In  choosing  a  paper  we  must  not  only  con¬ 
sider  the  furniture  and  hangings  that  are  to 
go  in  the  room,  but  we  must  bear  in  mind  the 
uses  to  which  the  room  will  be  put.  Although 
this  is  so  important,  it  is  a  point  that  is  very 
often  forgotten,  and  the  neglect  of  it  leads  to 
endless  confusion.  There  are  several  fun¬ 
damental  truths  that  we  should  get  well  in 
our  heads  before  undertaking  the  task  of 
choosing  wall  coverings.  If  the  ceiling  is 
much  too  high  it  can  be  divided  into  three 
sections.  The  ceiling  paper  can  be  brought 

[28] 


DECORATIVE  NURSERY  PAPER  A  WELL  DESIGNED  PAPER  WHICH  COULD  BE 

USED  ONLY  WITH  THE  RIGHT  SURROUNDINGS 


{ 


How  to  Treat  the  Walls 

down  one  or  two  feet,  level  with  the  top  of  the 
door  or  windows,  and  should  always  carry  out 
some  architectural  line  already  in  the  room. 

A  figured  paper  below  this  could  cover  the 
wall  to  within  seven  feet  of  the  floor,  when  a 
burlap  or  wood  panelling  would  make  a  suit¬ 
able  base.  It  is  not  common,  however,  to 
find  ceilings  so  high  as  a  general  rule,  and 
unless  the  walls  are  over  eleven  feet,  it  would 
be  unnecessary  to  bring  the  ceiling  paper  down. 
Sometimes  a  ceiling  is  so  low  it  is  depressing, 
and  in  that  case  a  striped  paper  would  make 
it  appear  higher,  especially  if  the  same  paper 
was  run  from  the  ceiling  to  the  skirting  board. 

Papers  with  very  large  figures  are  never 
quite  suited  to  a  small  house.  They  dwarf 
the  rooms,  and  the  breaking  up  of  the  patterns 
by  doors  and  windows  is  disagreeable  and 
has  an  uncomfortable  feeling  for  any  one  sen¬ 
sitive  to  his  surroundings.  What  a  good  thing 
it  would  be  if  the  wall-paper  salesmen  attended 
classes  where  they  could  be  taught  the  effect 
of  the  various  wall  papers  they  are  to  sell. 
They  would  then  be  less  daring  in  what  they 
recommend  to  their  customers.  Far  too  fre¬ 
quently  paper  is  advocated  that  was  originally 

[  29 1 


Home  Decoration 

designed  for  a  large  hall  or  dining-room  of 
magnificent  proportions,  with  all  the  furniture 
and  panelling  in  keeping  with  the  design. 
Such  papers  are  meaningless  and  assertive  in 
a  small  house,  and  people  cannot  be  too  careful 
in  avoiding  them. 

When  going  into  a  new  house  we  must  not 
be  deceived  by  the  quantity  and  quality  of 
light  which  pervades  the  room.  If  the  walls  are 
bare,  it  is  very  difficult  to  get  a  correct  im¬ 
pression  of  how  light  or  dark  the  walls  will  be 
when  papered.  If  the  rooms  are  dark,  sun¬ 
shiny  yellows  or  warm  rose  tints  are  bright 
and  cheerful,  while  olives  and  blues  tend  to 
make  a  room  dark  and  dreary  unless  the  walls 
are  so  well  broken  by  windows  that  this  need 
not  be  considered.  Warm  tones  in  north 
rooms,  cool  torfes  in  south  rooms  are  points 
to  be  remembered. 

Every  season  I  make  a  point  of  seeing  the 
new  wall  papers,  and,  looking  at  many  hun¬ 
dreds,  it  is  sad  to  think  how  few  there  are 
that  would  be  restful  to  live  with.  Sometimes 
in  going  through  a  whole  book,  I  do  not  find 
a  single  paper  I  could  honestly  recommend. 
Assertiveness  is  more  often  found  among  the 

[30] 


How  to  Treat  the  Walls 

domestic  papers  than  the  imported  ones,  the 
reason  probably  being  that  the  English  manu¬ 
facturers  pay  high  prices  to  the  best  artists 
in  the  country  for  wall-paper  designs.  Such 
men  as  Walter  Crane,  Cecil  Aldin,  John 
Hassal,  Lewis  F.  Day,  Voisey,  and  Shann 
Kydd  are  employed  to  make  designs  for  them. 
As  large  prices  are  paid  for  these  designs,  the 
manufacturers  do  not  cease  to  make  up  a 
paper  at  the  end  of  a  season,  but  continue  to 
bring  it  out  for  five  or  six  years,  if  the  design 
is  good  and  continues  to  sell.  Some  of  the 
original  Morris  papers  can  be  bought  to-day 
in  London  in  the  same  colorings  as  when  they 
were  made  over  twenty-five  years  ago.  A 
desire  for  novelty  on  the  part  of  the  public 
demoralizes  American  manufacturers,  and  we 
find  that  good  designs  we  have  grown  accus¬ 
tomed  to  cannot  be  obtained  at  any  price 
when  they  have  run  their  allotted  time.  If 
the  manufacturers  paid  the  prices  for  designs 
that  English  and  French  makers  do,  this  would 
not  happen. 

To  treat  the  walls  of  our  home  successfully, 
we  must  first  consider  the  hall,  for  it  should 
be  the  key-note  of  the  color  scheme.  It  is 

[  31 1 


Home  Decoration 


well  to  have  the  walls  broken  by  mouldings, 
because,  as  a  rule,  the  paper  on  the  upper  wall 
will  outlast  the  dado.  If  a  light  paper  covers 
the  walls  that  would  quickly  soil,  it  is  best  to 
have  a  burlap  or  a  panelled  dado  to  protect 
the  parts  exposed  to  hard  wear.  This  is 
especially  important  when  the  staircase  is 
narrow,  as  it  is  seldom  they  are  wide  enough 
to  allow  trunks  to  be  carried  up  and  down 
without  knocking  the  walls. 

Another  way  of  treating  the  hall  is  to  use  a 
two-toned  or  fabric  paper;  a  very  undefined 
pattern  can  be  used,  giving  a  varied  surface 
which  is  very  pleasing.  It  will  be  found  that 
the  broken  wall  surface  is  much  more  ser¬ 
viceable  than  plain  walls.  If  a  frieze  is  used 
in  the  hall,  it  should  stop  at  the  foot  of  the 
stairs.  Nothing  looks  worse  than  a  frieze 
running  on  a  slant  above  the  staircase.  A 
beautiful  one  could  often  be  afforded  in  the 
lower  hall  when  the  expense  would  be  un¬ 
called  for  on  the  second  landing.  If  there  is 
no  place  for  the  frieze  to  terminate  at  a  mould¬ 
ing  or  arch  near  the  staircase,  place  a  little 
beading  at  the  end  of  it,  which  will  be  all 

that  is  necessary  to  finish  it  off. 

[32] 


How  to  Treat  the  Walls 


In  city  homes  the  dining-room  is  very  apt 
to  be  poorly  lighted,  and  is  often  devoid  of 
attractive  characteristics,  and  therefore  every¬ 
thing  that  is  possible  must  be  done  to  bring 
about  a  cheerful  appearance.  Yellow  or  corn 
color  in  a  plain  or  two-toned  effect  is  always 
good.  Where  there  is  plenty  of  good  china,  a 
plate-rail  is  advisable,  and  the  display  on  this 
of  decorative  pottery  is  sufficient  decoration 
for  the  walls,  if  the  colors  are  right;  but  it 
is  a  great  mistake  to  have  a  plate-rail  with 
insipid  china  and  inartistic  pottery  possessing 
no  decorative  qualities.  Variety  can  be  given 
by  groups  of  copper  or  pewter,  which  are 
bright  and  add  a  gleam  of  brilliancy  when  the 
light  catches  them.  If  there  are  no  suitable 
decorations  on  hand,  some  of  the  beautiful 
poster  friezes  designed  by  first-class  English 
artists  can  be  used  instead.  They  are  soft  in 
coloring,  and  the  repetitions  of  design  so  far 
between  that  there  is  no  opportunity  for  getting 
tired  of  the  pattern.  Some  of  the  convention¬ 
alized  floral  designs  can  also  be  used,  the 
coloring  being  chosen  to  suit  the  walls. 

A  beautiful  dining-room  can  be  made,  when 
the  wall  is  panelled  in  wood  to  a  height  of 

3  1  33  1 


Home  Decoration 


six  or  seven  feet,  by  running  above  the  high 
wainscot  an  old-time  landscape  frieze  con¬ 
sisting  of  trees,  fountains,  and  urns  on  a  white 
ground.  The  tree-tops  of  this  frieze  should 
nearly  reach  to  the  ceiling,  the  groundwork 
of  which  must  match  that  of  the  frieze.  With 
mahogany  furniture  such  a  scheme  would  be 
very  rich-looking. 

Never  before  have  so  many  beautiful  fabric 
papers  been  shown  as  at  this  time.  Some  have 
a  basket  weave  resembling  burlap,  while  others 
have  a  variety  of  texture  that  is  very  charming. 
The  silk-fibre  papers  are  durable  and  artistic 
and  come  in  beautiful  colors.  They  are  good 
for  using  below  these  poster  friezes. 

There  are  so  many  horrible  tapestry  papers 
on  the  market  that  I  recommend  these  with 
fear  and  trembling ;  but  there  are  one  or  two 
beautiful  designs  that  are  always  in  good  taste 
and  that  can  be  used  successfully  as  ahighdado 
in  a  dining-room.  They  come  in  beautiful 
rich  colors — some  in  tones  of  pale  green  with 
Venetian  red  roses  and  wood  color  introduced. 
These  are  suitable  for  covering  the  walls  of 
country  dining-rooms,  and  are  excellent  when 
used  with  white  paint.  I  have  in  mind  an 

[34] 


A  FRIEZE  OF  NASTURTIUMS  IN  TONES  OI 
BROWN  AND  COPPER 


DECORATIVE  FRIEZE  IN  DEEP  ROSE  AND 
SHADES  OF  GREEN 


How  to  Treat  the  Walls 

imported  tapestry  paper  costing  only  fifty 
cents;  although  it  has  been  in  the  market 
some  six  or  seven  years,  it  still  comes  over  in 
large  quantities. 

In  preparing  the  walls  of  a  room  which  will 
be  furnished  in  mission  furniture,  some  of  the 
art-nouveau  papers  can  be  used,  but  as  there 
are  several  flagrant  monstrosities  among  the 
new  papers,  they  must  be  chosen  with  care. 
Suitability,  not  novelty,  is  what  we  need;  so 
do  not  be  impressed  by  the  salesman  telling 
you  the  paper  is  a  “good  seller.”  You  may 
then  rest  assured  it  is  a  bad  paper,  for  the 
majority  of  people  have  not  good  taste,  and 
the  manufacturers  unfortunately  cater  to  the 
majority. 

Some  of  the  leather  papers  in  solid  color  or 
two-toned  effect  are  very  beautiful  for  a  large, 
handsomely  furnished  dining-room.  These 
are  best  used  with  a  tiny  little  border  that  is 
sold  to  go  with  them  to  outline  the  panels. 
This  treatment  is  very  rich  and  dignified,  but 
requires  modern  furniture  in  the  room  to  be 
correct.  Cheap  light-oak  furniture  or  painted 
chairs  would  be  grotesque  with  such  a  back¬ 
ground.  Plain  burlap  as  a  base,  surmounted 

[35] 


Home  Decoration 


by  plain  felt  above,  is  an  old  standby  for  a 
dining-room  that  we  never  tire  of,  especially 
when  it  is  broken  by  a  broad  plate-rail  on 
which  decorative  pottery  has  been  placed. 

There  are  any  number  of  beautiful  little 
colonial  designs  suitable  for  dining-rooms. 
They  are  dainty  in  design  and  appeal  to  most 
of  us  as  being  eminently  suitable  to  their  sur¬ 
roundings.  It  is  not  necessary  to  have  pic¬ 
tures  in  a  dining-room,  as  it  is  best  for  the  table 
and  the  silver  to  be  the  centre  of  attraction. 
It  is  always  difficult  to  get  good  enough  pic¬ 
tures  for  the  living-room  or  library,  so  that  it 
seems  rather  a  waste  to  use  them  in  a  dining¬ 
room  where  we  can  do  without. 

The  library  must  be  restful.  A  peaceful 
room  of  this  character  must  be  treated  with 
a  quiet  background.  Nothing  must  be  chosen 
that  tends  to  distract  the  eye  and  thoughts. 
Therefore,  it  is  better  to  have  a  plain  wall  sur¬ 
face,  which  may  consist  of  either  burlap,  paint, 
or  wall  paper.  Usually  the  book-cases  take 
up  a  good  deal  of  wall  space,  so  that  there  is 
not  so  much  wall  surface  to  cover,  and  a  good 
quality  of  paper  can  be  used.  A  silk  fibre  is 
particularly  good,  and  although  the  first  cost 

[  36  3 


How  to  Treat  the  Walls 


is  high,  it  does  not  fade  and  is  really  cheaper 
in  the  long  run. 

The  living-room  can  be  treated  in  several 
ways,  but  it  needs  considerable  thought,  for 
if  there  is  no  library  it  must  take  the  place  of 
one.  If  it  is  on  the  second  floor,  there  is  a 
wide  scope  for  good  color  schemes,  as  it  will 
not  open  out  of  other  sitting-rooms  with  which 
it  must  harmonize.  Plain  papers  are  always 
best  for  such  rooms,  as  here  of  all  places  we 
like  to  have  our  favorite  pictures  about  us. 
The  picture  frames  and  walls  must  harmonize. 
Corn  color  is  the  most  satisfactory  tone  for 
the  walls,  and  goes  with  either  stained  wood¬ 
work  or  ivory  paint.  Many  of  the  two-toned 
papers  are  practically  as  good  a  background 
for  pictures  as  the  plain  ones,  and  are  well 
adapted  for  living-rooms.  Many  people  divide 
the  walls  and  have  a  plain  base  and  a  frisky 
flowered  paper  for  the  upper  walls.  Although 
this  looks  bright  and  cheerful,  it  is  not  satis¬ 
factory  to  live  with.  As  these  rooms  are  used 
in  the  day-time  as  well  as  in  the  evening, 
papers  must  be  considered  by  daylight  and 
artificial  light,  and  a  color  must  be  selected 
that  will  be  pleasing  at  both  times. 

[  37  1 


Home  Decoration 


Another  rule  we  must  observe  if  we  live  in 
the  same  house  all  the  year  around  is:  we  must 
not  choose  so  warm  a  scheme  as  will  not  be 
pleasing  in  the  hot  months.  Red  is  a  fa¬ 
vorite  color  for  living-rooms,  and  yet  I  think 
it  is  a  poor  choice.  When  everything  is  lighted 
up  in  the  winter  evenings,  it  is  certainly 
cheerful  and  attractive,  but  in  the  day-time  it 
seems  to  contract  the  size  of  the  room,  and 
is  most  assertive  when  the  weather  is  warm. 
It  should  never  be  used  with  mahogany  fur¬ 
niture,  as  the  walls  kill  the  color  of  the  ma¬ 
hogany.  There  is  a  shade  of  Pompeiian  red 
that  is  a  deep  old  rose  and  this  is  a  most 
satisfactory  color  to  live  with,  as  it  has  nothing 
of  the  assertive  qualities  of  a  really  bright  red. 

There  is  a  paper  that  few  people  know  of 
among  the  importations  from  England.  It  is 
what  our  English  cousins  use  for  wrapping 
paper,  and  is  now  made  in  wall-paper  form. 
It  is  a  soft  shade  of  brown,  and  makes  a 
neutral  background  for  pictures.  Its  depth  of 
tone  makes  it  beautiful  in  itself;  combined 
with  white  woodwork  it  is  an  ideal  wall  cover¬ 
ing  for  a  living-room. 

There  are  so  many  pretty  bedroom  papers 
[38] 


How  to  Treat  the  Walls 

to  choose  from  that  the  task  is  easy,  providing 
we  keep  a  few  “don’ts”  in  our  mind.  Do  not 
have  strong-colored  designs  on  a  strongly 
indicated  trellis.  They  are  very  pretty  when 
a  little  is  seen  at  once  in  the  store,  but  when 
the  four  walls  are  covered  they  are  monoto¬ 
nous.  Always  choose  soft  colors  that  harmonize 
with  the  furniture  and  floor  coverings.  There 
are  some  flowered  patterns  with  a  diamond 
shape  in  the  background  that  are  very  beau¬ 
tiful  and  bear  no  relation  to  the  vivid  nov¬ 
elties  to  which  I  refer.  There  is  a  little  brown 
spot  in  the  centre  of  the  diamond.  The 
flowers  recede  into  the  background  and  make 
a  soft  and  pretty  wall  paper.  Then  there  is  a 
great  variety  of  pretty  stripes.  One  I  have  in 
mind  consists  of  daisies  in  pale  gray  alter¬ 
nating  with  a  stripe  of  poppies.  There  are 
several  colorings  in  this  paper,  the  poppies 
being  in  blue,  red,  and  mauve.  There  is  some¬ 
thing  unpleasing  in  the  idea  of  a  blue  poppy, 
so  that  this  coloring  need  not  be  considered. 
The  pink  one  is  the  prettiest  of  the  combina¬ 
tions. 

An  unusual  motif  is  cosmos;  this  season 
there  is  a  beautiful  paper  in  this  motif.  An- 

139] 


Home  Decoration 


other  shows  two  little  roses  side  by  side,  run¬ 
ning  in  stripes  two  feet  apart.  It  is  somewhat 
on  the  art-nouveau  style,  but  is  in  exceedingly 
good  taste. 

Plain  walls  are  also  pleasant  for  a  bedroom, 
but  they  must  be  brightened  up  with  a  pretty 
little  border.  If  expense  must  be  consid¬ 
ered,  choose  a  striped  floral  paper  which  can 
have  the  stripes  cut  out  and  used  as  a  bor¬ 
der.  This  method  is  less  expensive  and 
the  same  effect  is  gained  in  the  end.  There 
are  two  ways  of  treating  such  rooms.  One  is 
to  run  the  border  above  the  skirting-board 
and  around  the  trims  of  the  room  and  beneath 
the  angle.  The  other  is  to  make  panels,  which 
can  be  varied  in  size,  and  break  up  the  room 
in  a  charming  manner.  There  are  quite  a 
number  of  beautiful  borders  sold  for  this  pur¬ 
pose.  The  Chambrays  are  prettier  than  plain 
papers  for  panelled  bedrooms.  It  is  surprising 
what  a  long  life  watered  paper  possesses.  It 
is  still  made  in  all  shades,  and  there  seems  to 
be  an  epidemic  of  watered  ceilings.  Nothing 
is  better  than  a  plain  tint  for  ceilings  of  bed¬ 
rooms  or  sitting-rooms.  They  are  more  expen¬ 
sive  and  cost  a  little  more  to  hang,  but  if  we 

[40] 


BACKGROUND  MAKES  IT  RESTFUL  ROOM  OR  BEDROOM 


How  to  Treat  the  Walls 


must  save  in  this  direction  there  are  less  ob¬ 
jectionable  things  than  watered  paper.  A 
little  cobweb  design  among  those  made  for 
ceilings,  or  a  silver  dot,  is  not  nearly  so  asser¬ 
tive  if  a  twelve-and-a-half-cent  paper  must  be 
used  instead  of  a  twenty-cent  tint. 

There  are  one  or  two  especially  good  papers 
intended  for  men’s  rooms.  They  are  geomet¬ 
rical  in  design  and  are  strong  in  color,  but 
this  is  not  objected  to,  as  a  man  likes  his  room 
to  have  character. 

We  have  not  so  large  a  selection  among  the 
papers  for  third-story  bedrooms.  One  I  like 
is  a  charming  little  paper  with  rosebuds 
scattered  over  a  white  ground,  and  costs  only 
fifteen  cents.  As  it  is  sometimes  important, 
because  of  the  shape  of  a  room,  to  paper  the 
walls  and  ceiling  alike,  small,  unassuming 
patterns  should  be  chosen.  If  the  ceiling  is 
unbroken  it  will  require  different  treatment, 
and  there  will  not  be  the  same  limitations. 
A  large  attic  is  best  divided  by  a  dado  of  plain 
paper,  with  a  figured  paper  above,  which  may 
extend  on  to  the  ceiling  for  about  a  foot. 

For  bathrooms,  painted  walls  are  very  often 
used,  and  are  always  in  good  taste.  A  wooden 

[41 1 


Home  Decoration 

or  tiled  dado  is  almost  invariably  used  now¬ 
adays.  Above  these  we  can  have  some  of  the 
beautiful  varnished  papers  which  seem  more 
serviceable  than  paint,  but  we  must  avoid 
those  ugly  little  imitation-brick  designs,  of 
which  every  one  is  so  heartily  tired.  There  are 
several  very  pretty  ideas  in  bathroom  papers. 
One  in  square  tiles  shows  a  Japanese  treatment 
of  a  pine-tree  motif.  Another  is  formed  by 
stripes  of  iris  leaves  with  a  flower  appearing 
at  regular  intervals  in  the  stripe. 

Kitchens  and  pantries  are  frequently 
painted,  although  a  few  architects  go  to  the 
expense  of  tde  walls  in  preference.  House¬ 
keepers  are  finding  out  that  painted  walls 
are  apt  to  look  smeary  after  a  half-yearly 
scrub,  and  to-day  favor  is  given  to  varnished 
papers,  which  can  be  renewed  every  other 
year. 

Those  who  have  taken  considerable  trouble 
in  carefully  considering  the  treatment  of  their 
walls  will  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing 
that  their  surroundings  are  harmonious,  and 
will  therefore  be  well  repaid  for  the  time  they 
have  spent  in  planning  for  successful  wall 
treatment. 


[42] 


CHAPTER  IV 
Concerning  Halls 

On  entering  a  house  our  first  impression  is 
received  from  the  appearance  of  the  hall. 
Either  it  is  bad  architecturally  or  it  is  fur¬ 
nished  in  so  commonplace  a  style  that  we 
have  no  desire  to  enter  the  house,  and  its 
owners  are  stamped  in  our  minds  as  people 
of  little  culture  or  refinement.  This  being  the 
case,  it  is  imperative  that  the  matter  should 
be  considered  from  every  point  of  view,  and 
time  given  to  trying  to  remedy  the  natural 
defects  of  a  badly  planned  hall. 

An  average  hall  in  a  city  house  is  usually  too 
dark,  and  often  not  pleasantly  proportioned, 
and  this  last  fault  is  often  made  worse  by  a 
plain  paper,  surmounted  with  a  frieze  which, 
as  it  mounts  the  staircase,  is  most  offensive 
to  the  artistic  eye. 

Probably  the  woodwork  is  walnut,  highly 
varnished,  or  else  it  is  oak  finished  in  the  same 
lustrous  fashion.  Then  we  find  a  terrible 

[  43  1 


Home  Decoration 


piece  of  furniture  groaning  under  the  weight 
of  coats  and  hats,  while  unrolled  umbrellas 
appear  to  stick  out  of  the  pockets.  Somewhere 
inside  is  a  seat,  but  who  would  dare  to  sit 
down  amidst  so  much  overhead  drapery  ?  It 
also  contains  a  very  narrow  mirror,  and  this 
proportion  is  accentuated  by  a  bevelled  edge 
around  it. 

Another  hall  has  the  upper  wall  and  ceiling 
of  felt  paper,  while  below  a  border  of  gold 
stars  is  a  paper  of  garish  colors  and  bad 
drawing.  Once  when  going  over  a  house, 
papered  ready  for  the  new  occupant,  a  dado 
which,  to  my  mind,  closely  resembled  drunken 
cats  met  my  gaze.  The  shape  of  the  head, 
the  ears,  outstretched  paws,  all  were  indicated. 
Thousands  of  cats  seemed  to  spring  from  the 
walls.  Imagine  any  one  trying  to  live  with 
such  a  paper!  It  could  only  be  endured  as  a 
preventive  against  mice. 

A  city  house  is  sometimes  found  with  a  high 
narrow  hall,  varnished  walnut  woodwork,  and 
badly  lighted.  These  defects  can  be  mitigated 
in  several  ways,  however.  It  was  my  privilege 
to  see  what  had  been  done  by  a  young  artist 
who  bought  a  house  of  this  kind,  matching  all 

[  44  ] 


Concerning  Halls 

its  commonplace  neighbors.  By  doing  the 
decoration  himself,  he  succeeded  in  making 
his  knowledge  of  color  and  form  of  practical 
value.  As  the  hall  was  gloomy,  the  walls  were 
painted  a  soft  golden  yellow,  bringing  an 
atmosphere  of  sunshine  into  it.  The  wall  was 
divided  by  a  heavy  dado  moulding,  placed 
about  seven  feet  from  the  ground;  below  this 
a  burlap  of  golden  brown  was  used.  This  was 
ornamented  by  a  stencil  decoration  in  green, 
placed  just  below  the  moulding.  The  upper 
wall  was  stencilled  with  a  tree  motif,  the  tops 
of  which  formed  a  continuous  frieze.  This 
extended  only  to  the  arch  at  the  foot  of  the 
stairs,  the  ordinary  plaster  ornaments  were 
removed,  and  the  arch  made  square  and  left 
the  depth  of  the  frieze.  Two  plaster  brackets 
were  allowed  to  remain,  and  on  these  the  artist 
designed  and  made  in  plaster  figures  of  boys, 
who  apparently  held  up  the  chandelier.  These 
figures  were  stained  green  and  added  greatly 
to  the  artistic  appearance  of  the  hall.  The 
same  idea  could  be  carried  out  by  buying  a 
ready-made  figure  from  a  vendor  of  plaster 
casts.  The  imp  sitting  with  his  legs  crossed 
could  be  placed  on  the  brackets,  so  often  used 

[  45  1 


Home  Decoration 


as  a  support  for  meaningless  ornaments.  The 
woodwork  was  painted  one  coat  of  brown 
paint  and  overgrained,  producing  the  effect 
of  dull-finished  oak,  which  was  most  attractive. 
A  high  settle,  stained  green,  with  well-designed 
sides,  gave  opportunity  for  holding  a  visitor’s 
hat  and  coat.  Those  of  the  family  were  hung 
at  the  end  of  the  hall  out  of  sight.  The  stair¬ 
case  and  floors  were  covered  with  one  width 
of  velvet  carpet,  which  had  a  small  conven¬ 
tional  design  in  yellow.  A  few  inches  of 
stained  floor  were  left  at  each  side  of  the  strip. 

On  the  left  of  the  hall  was  a  parlor,  which 
was  converted  into  a  most  delightful  living- 
room.  The  doors  extended  to  the  ceiling; 
straight  slats  of  wood,  stained  brown,  were 
introduced,  instead  of  an  ordinary  transom; 
the  doors  were  removed  and  handwoven  por¬ 
tieres  were  hung  in  their  place.  These  were 
drawn  back,  thus  allowing  the  light  from  the 
windows  at  each  end  of  the  living-room  to 
enter  the  hall. 

The  vestibule  was  painted  a  deeper  tone 
than  the  hall  walls,  and  the  marble  dado  was 
softened  by  toning  with  color.  The  vestibule 
doors  had  curtains  of  bobinet  with  a  tree  motif 

[46] 


Concerning  Halls 

stencilled  on  them,  suggesting  the  decoration 
inside.  The  expense  was  slight,  but  the 
difference  in  the  “before”  and  “after”  treat¬ 
ment  of  the  hall  was  most  remarkable. 

Halls  that  are  easy  to  treat  are  those  where 
the  staircase  turns  above  a  platform  near  the 
base  of  the  stairs.  A  pretty  hall  I  always 
enjoy  going  into  has  white  paint  and  red  felt 
walls  with  a  cream  ceiling.  A  dado  of  warm 
Persian  design  in  paper  protects  the  lower 
walls.  The  staircase  winds  until  it  comes 
opposite  the  front  door.  The  mahogany 
hand-rail  and  thin  white  spindles  give  it  quite 
an  old-world  appearance.  This  hall  is  square, 
and  with  a  sofa  and  a  table  makes  an  attract¬ 
ive  reception-hall. 

Another  hall  in  a  large  colonial  house  in  the 
country  possesses  a  wide  staircase,  with  a  bal¬ 
cony  leading  to  the  second  flight,  which  con¬ 
tinues  up  the  other  side  of  the  hall.  A  large 
two-toned  green  foliage  paper  covers  the  walls, 
broken  only  by  a  chair-rail.  Plenty  of  light 
floods  this  hall,  which,  with  its  white  wood¬ 
work  and  old  mahogany  furniture,  makes  a 
pleasing  impression. 

If  the  walls  of  a  hall  are  high,  they  must  be 
147  3 


Home  Decoration 

broken  by  moulding,  and  it  seems  most  prac¬ 
tical  to  have  a  dado  of  paper  or  paint.  This 
should  be  in  proportion  to  the  height  of  the 
wall  on  the  staircase.  A  hall  might  have  the 
dado  renewed  without  much  outlay,  whereas 
the  papering  of  the  entire  hall  is  always  costly. 

Avoid  large  figures  in  a  small  hall,  also  set 
figures.  I  never  see  a  so-called  “hall  paper” 
that  is  really  suitable.  They  are  usually  badly 
drawn  and  poorly  colored,  and  the  poor 
creatures  who  are  talked  into  buying  them 
are  much  to  be  pitied. 

Let  the  halls  look  inviting.  Have  a  little 
table  near  the  door,  a  mirror,  and  a  chair  or 
settle,  but  do  not  have  combination  hall  seats 
and  painted  drain  pipes  for  umbrellas  and 
large-patterned  carpets  on  the  floor.  Stained 
floors  with  rugs  which  can  be  shaken  at  least 
twice  a  week;  bare  stairs,  or  velvet  carpets  of 
neat  Persian  designs;  sheer  window  curtains 
that  let  in  all  the  available  light;  copper  bowls 
for  the  cards,  and  a  growing  plant  or  fern  on 
the  table — these  are  little  details  that  add 
much  to  the  whole,  and  make  for  a  successful 
hall. 


[48] 


HAND-WOVEN  RUGS 


CHAPTER  V 


A  Few  Points  to  Remember  when  Buying 
Carpets  and  Rugs 

When  in  quest  of  a  floor  covering,  it  is  a 
very  sensible  plan  to  go  armed  with  a  foot- 
rule,  especially  if  there  is  only  a  limited  sum 
to  spend.  The  judicious  use  of  a  foot-rule 
will  be  a  very  practical  help,  as  by  its  use  it 
can  be  determined  how  large  a  rug  the  room 
will  need,  or  how  many  yards  of  carpet  will 
be  required.  If  this  can  be  done  by  the  pur¬ 
chaser,  the  car-fares  and  expenses  of  a  man 
from  a  store  will  be  saved,  and  this  is  worth 
while  if  the  house  is  in  the  country.  But  the 
chief  reason  for  doing  this  is  to  know  about 
how  many  yards  will  be  needed,  so  that  a  little 
figuring  will  enable  the  would-be  purchaser 
to  know  how  much  she  must  allow  for  each 
room  and  enable  her  to  decide  whether  she 
can  buy  Wilton  or  Brussels  carpets,  or  rugs. 

When  measuring  a  room,  first  draw  a  com¬ 
plete  diagram  of  the  spaces  to  be  carpeted  as 

[49] 


Home  Decoration 

nearly  correct  in  shape  and  proportion  as 
possible.  Measure  with  a  rule  or  yard-stick, 
in  preference  to  a  tape  line,  and  give  dimen¬ 
sions  in  feet  and  inches.  Having  found  out 
how  many  yards  will  be  needed,  the  quality 
and  kind  of  carpet  must  then  be  decided  on. 

Most  of  the  carpets  are  made  in  several 
qualities.  Wiltons  come  in  three  grades:  the 
first  cost  $ 3.00  a  yard,  and  are  made  in  better 
colorings  and  designs,  as  well  as  being  heavier. 
The  best  ones  are  mostly  in  two-toned  effects, 
and  have  borders  made  to  match  them,  not 
only  in  color  but  in  design.  Do  not  choose  an 
assertive  border  for  a  carpet,  but  see  that  the 
colors  blend. 

The  cheapest  quality  of  Wilton  costs  $1.50. 
These  are  mostly  made  in  designs  suitable  for 
staircases,  halls,  and  landings,  and  are  very 
Oriental  in  effect.  A  gold  pear  design  in 
Wilton  velvet  comes  in  a  blue  background 
with  a  soft  gold  and  green  design,  and  also 
in  shades  of  red.  The  blue  ground  is  one  of 
the  few  carpets  that  can  be  used  successfully 
in  a  Delft  room.  This  design  has  already  been 
on  the  market  five  or  six  years.  It  is  a  comfort 
that  the  manufacturers  have  the  good  sense 

1 5°  3 


4 


Points  to  Remember 


to  go  on  making  it.  Why  should  a  good  thing 
cease  to  be  made  when  it  answers  its  purpose, 
and  is  found  practical  for  its  good  coloring 
and  design  ? 

Another  carpet,  not  unlike  the  Wilton,  is  the 
Axminster.  It  is  made  in  several  qualities — 
$1.75,  $1.50,  and  $1.40 — and  is  made  in  much 
the  same  kind  of  designs  as  the  Wilton  velvets. 
It  is  used  for  dining-rooms,  living-rooms, 
and  halls.  The  coloring  is  dark,  and  the 
motif  is  Persian.  French  designs  are  also 
found  in  Axminster  carpets,  and  are  used  in 
parlors.  These  carpets  have  a  high  pile,  and 
require  care  to  keep  them  free  from  dust. 

Body  Brussels  is  perhaps  the  favorite  carpet, 
and  dealers  tell  us  they  sell  more  of  it  than 
of  any  of  the  others.  It  is  made  in  several 
qualities,  the  best  being  $1.75.  This  grade 
is  really  the  cheapest  in  the  long  run,  as  it  is 
extra  heavy  and  will  wear  much  longer  than 
the  $1.40  quality.  It  is  made  in  exclusive  de¬ 
signs,  and  only  the  best  dyes  are  used.  Body 
Brussels  can  be  bought  at  the  following  prices: 
$i-75>  $I-4°>  and  $1.25,  but  these  prices 

are  subject  to  change.  The  $1.25  carpet  is 
the  same  quality  as  the  $1.40,  but  the  designs 

[51] 


Home  Decoration 


are  usually  old,  and  are  not  exclusive  to  any 
one  firm.  Sometimes  an  unpopular  design  is 
really  good,  but  has  not  been  found  by  people 
of  good  taste,  and  so  has  been  overlooked. 

A  wool  ingrain  costs  95  cents  a  yard.  These 
are  made  in  two-toned  effects,  and  are  often 
very  pretty,  but  their  lack  of  weight  makes 
them  less  serviceable  than  other  carpets.  In 
counting  the  cost  of  buying  carpets,  the  ex¬ 
pense  of  making,  laying,  and  lining  must  not 
be  forgotten.  Sometimes  it  is  advisable  to  put 
two  layers  of  lining  down  where  there  is  a 
great  deal  of  traffic,  as  it  insures  a  carpet 
wearing  longer.  The  cost  of  making  and 
laying  a  Wilton  is  20  cents  a  yard,  the  lining 
costs,  according  to  weight,  10  cents,  I2|  cents, 
and  15  cents. 

Brussels  and  velvet  carpets  cost  12I  cents 
a  yard  to  make,  15  cents  if  a  border  is  used. 
Plain  filling  can  be  bought  made  of  Wilton, 
Brussels,  Axminsters,  Wilton  velvets,  and 
Terry’s.  Brussels  and  Terry’s  are  made  one 
yard  wide,  all  the  others  are  three-quarters 
the  usual  carpet  width. 

Fashion  runs  riot  in  carpets  as  well  as  in 

clothes,  so  we  must  not  be  surprised  to  find 

[  52  ] 


Points  to  Remember 

that  a  pale-steel  color  is  among  the  fashionable 
shades.  Could  anything  be  more  absurd! 
A  floor  must  be  the  strongest  color  in  a  room. 
It  would  be  hard  to  imagine  a  successful  room 
with  pale-steel  carpet  and  sick  walls.  Some 
of  the  shades  of  pink  are  wicked,  but  for¬ 
tunately  a  wide  range  of  good  old  rose  pinks 
is  still  left  to  us. 

Among  the  Wiltons  some  cheaper  designs 
are  excellent,  especially  in  the  greens. 

Golden  brown  and  dull  green  are  goodly 
colors  to  combine  in  floor  coverings,  and  several 
effective  designs  in  these  colors  can  be  seen 
among  the  new  Wiltons.  An  old  Persian 
Mosul  design  is  made  in  old  reds,  yellow, 
olive,  cream,  on  a  dull  blue  ground;  although 
so  many  colors  are  used  the  effect  is  neutral. 

The  ever-popular  fleur-de-lis  design  is  made 
in  various  shades  of  green  Wilton. 

Among  the  body  Brussels  bedroom  carpets 
is  one  called  the  Waldorf.  It  has  a  blossom 
with  an  all-over  design  of  leaves.  Except  for 
the  indistinct  flower,  it  is  a  two-toned  carpet, 
and  is  made  in  blue  and  two  distinct  shades 
of  green.  Another  that  is  popular  is  a  cherry 
blossom  centred  in  a  diagonal  design.  It  has 

[  53  1 


Home  Decoration 

a  very  chintzy  appearance,  and  is  attractive 
in  pale  green  or  the  terra-cotta  shades. 

Two-toned  designs  in  set  patterns  like  oil¬ 
cloths  are  among  the  new  things  in  Brussels 
and  Wilton  carpets,  and  are  suitable  for  a 
small  room. 

Among  the  domestic  rugs  are  several  French 
Wiltons,  a  9  x  12  costing  $50.00  in  the  best 
designs  and  colorings.  Some  of  them  copy 
the  Persian  rug  so  closely  that  a  rug  purchaser 
might  be  deceived  as  to  its  genuineness. 

One  of  the  rugs  is  copied  from  an  old  Ker¬ 
man  shah.  It  is  in  pale  rose,  creams,  and  blues 
with  the  pear  motif  so  often  used  by  the 
Orientals. 

The  Bokhara  design  is  made  in  two  tones  in 
terra  cotta,  and  in  deep  crimson.  Some  of 
the  designs  are  more  assertive,  a  red  ground 
with  blue  medallion  and  borders  being  among 
these,  and  are  carried  each  season.  The 
regular  price  of  a  9x12  Royal  Wilton  is 
$37.5°,  and  from  these  some  good  designs  and 
colorings  can  be  selected.  A  better  quality 
can  be  bought  for  $47.50,  the  coloring  of  which 
is  excellent. 

The  Smyrnas  are  slightly  cheaper,  a  good 

[54] 


MARTHA  WASHINGTON  RUG 


Points  to  Remember 

quality  costing  $28.50.  A  good  deal  of  rub¬ 
bish  is  sold  under  the  head  of  Smyrnas,  but 
every  now  and  then  they  crop  up  in  good 
coloring  and  good  designs.  I  lately  found  a 
beautiful  old  red  in  a  Bokhara  design  with 
touches  of  black  as  good  as  any  of  the  French 
Wiltons,  but  it  was  a  better  quality  than  that 
usually  found  in  a  Smyrna.  These  domestic 
rugs  are  made  in  all  sizes,  which  is  a  great 
convenience  when  several  are  needed  in  the 
same  room. 

A  variety  of  rugs  are  made  for  bathrooms. 
The  Whitall  and  the  Princess  are  the  most 
popular.  They  are  made  in  all  the  small  sizes 
and  colors.  The  Martha  Washington  rugs 
with  white  warps  are  also  much  in  favor  for 
bathrooms,  as  they  can  be  readily  washed. 

The  Kashmir  rug  is  more  of  a  summer  rug, 
but  on  account  of  its  small  price  will  always 
be  asked  for.  A  9  x  12  costs  $12.00.  The 
colors  are  strong  and  the  designs  are  usually 
Oriental.  They  can  be  used  in  a  boy’s  bed¬ 
room  or  den.  It  certainly  seems  that  a  large 
variety  is  offered  for  our  selection,  and  among 
so  many  something  can  always  be  found  to 
suit  any  pocket-book. 

[S5l 


Home  Decoration 


Axminster  and  Donegal  rugs,  which  are 
hand-tufted,  are  usually  made  to  order  and 
can  be  ordered  any  size  and  shape.  Some 
firms  will  even  go  so  far  as  to  make  a  special 
design  to  suit  a  room  without  extra  cost. 
These  rugs  are  nearly  an  inch  thick,  and  begin 
at  $12.00  a  square  yard;  but  as  they  are  made 
by  hand  and  each  tuft  tied  in  a  separate  knot, 
the  cost  does  not  seem  excessive.  Only  the 
best  wools  and  dyes  are  used.  The  demand 
has  increased  lately  because  of  the  interest 
the  King  and  Queen  of  England  have  taken 
in  this  industry,  which  is  giving  work  to 
hundreds  of  women  in  the  Donegal  Hills  in 
Ireland.  Several  were  made  for  Windsor 
Castle,  and  now  orders  are  being  received 
from  all  parts  of  the  world. 

The  Caledon  rugs,  costing  about  $35.00  for 
a  9x12,  are  made  in  beautiful  designs,  and 
are  especially  useful  to  go  with  mission  fur¬ 
niture  and  modern  English  treatment  of  walls. 
Many  of  the  designs  are  made  by  Voisey,  in 
those  beautiful  combinations  of  green  and  blue 
so  hard  to  find  in  floor  coverings.  These  rugs 
can  be  made  to  order,  as  the  stock  carried  is  us¬ 
ually  not  large  at  the  few  stores  that  carry  them. 

[56] 


Points  to  Remember 

Hand-woven  fabric  rugs  are  now  made  in 
all  sizes  and  colors,  and  fill  a  long-felt  want 
because  of  their  durability.  They  are  made 
of  cotton  materials,  and  are  woven  like  the 
old-fashioned  rag  carpet,  but  instead  of  being 
made  hit-or-miss  fashion,  figured  cretonnes, 
denims,  and  twill  are  woven  up.  Some  have 
plain  borders  and  figured  centres,  while  others 
are  made  of  plain  material  with  fancy  borders. 
They  are  woven  with  white  or  tan  warps. 
The  white  warps  are  much  used  in  bedrooms, 
but  the  tan  is  more  serviceable  for  all  purposes, 
as  it  does  not  soil  so  quickly  as  white.  They 
are  sold  in  two  qualities.  Those  known  as  the 
Priscilla  cost  $3.00  for  size  3x6,  and  $18.00 
for  9x12.  The  Martha  Washington  rugs 
have  beautiful  borders  of  dainty  patterns  and 
cost  $4.00  for  size  3x6  and  $24.00  for  the 
9x12  size. 

Old  carpets  need  never  be  thrown  away 
when  shabby,  as  they  can  be  pulled  apart, 
cleaned,  and  rewoven  into  small  rugs.  Very 
bright  crude  colors  make  the  prettiest  rugs. 
Four  yards  of  carpet  make  one  square  yard 
of  rug.  The  usual  price  is  $1.00  a  yard  for 
ripping  and  cleaning  the  old  carpet  and 

1 57 1 


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weaving  the  rugs.  This  includes  delivery. 
Velvet,  Moquette,  Brussels,  or  Ingrain  can  be 
used,  but  the  pile  carpets  are  not  mixed  with 
the  flat  carpets  when  woven. 

When  buying  carpets  it  will  oe  found  that 
the  full  line  of  new  ones  will  not  be  available 
until  after  the  middle  of  September.  August 
is  the  month  when  everything  is  cleaned  out 
to  make  way  for  new  stock.  Many  a  bargain 
can  be  found  by  watching  for  it.  The  only 
danger  is  that  people  are  apt  to  buy  ugly 
things  just  because  they  are  cheap.  Carpet 
rugs  made  up  with  remnants  of  borders  that 
bear  no  relation  to  the  centres  naturally  are 
sold  at  exceedingly  low  prices.  To  those  who 
want  only  a  floor  covering  and  have  no  color- 
eye  or  conscience  about  making  each  room 
beautiful,  these  bargains  prove  very  attractive. 


158] 


B— waai 


Ife 

m  :  mmmmmm  H  ■  ■  ■  H I  ■  mm  wm 

111’' 

»-  ■  •  .  .  5 


PRISCILI.A  RUG 


CHAPTER  VI 


Characteristics  of  Oriental  Rugs 

There  are  few  things  about  a  house  that, 
in  a  quiet  way,  have  more  influence  upon  our 
humor  than  floor  coverings.  We  do  not  often 
notice  them  directly,  but  nevertheless  they 
have  an  influence  upon  one’s  subconscious  self 
which  is  undeniable.  The  rugs  which  cover 
our  floors  give  the  fundamental  note  to  the 
scheme  of  our  rooms.  If  they  are  of  suitable 
color  and  strikingly  arranged,  they  lend  to  the 
room  a  certain  feeling  of  comfort  which  is 
essential  to  the  well-decorated  home,  but  if 
they  are  not,  they  destroy  the  whole  effect  of 
an  otherwise  well-appointed  apartment. 

We  frequently  do  not  realize  that  the  reason 
the  room  gives  us  an  uncomfortable  feeling 
is  because  its  rugs  are  out  of  keeping  with  the 
scheme  of  decoration.  A  rug  must  not  merely 
satisfy  our  sense  of  sight,  like  a  wall  paper  or 
pictures,  but  it  must  also  satisfy  our  sense  of 
touch,  because  we  are  constantly  feeling  the 

[  59  1 


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rug  with  our  feet,  and  comfort  must  therefore 
be  considered  from  this  point  of  view.  Too 
much  care  cannot  be  exercised  in  the  selection 
of  floor  coverings. 

Experience  is  the  best  teacher,  and  much 
of  it  is  needed  in  choosing  Oriental  rugs;  there 
are  many  people  who  buy  a  rug  because  its 
appearance  appeals  to  them,  and  they  feel 
sure  it  will  go  well  with  the  scheme  of  the 
room  for  which  they  are  choosing  it. 

What  to  Avoid  in  Selecting  Rugs 

There  are  many  points  to  be  kept  in  mind 
in  selecting  Oriental  rugs.  The  selvedge 
should  be  unbroken,  as  when  this  is  gone  the 
rug  may  be  said  to  be  on  its  last  legs,  especially 
if  the  warp,  called  a  heading,  at  either  end  of 
the  rug,  has  also  disappeared.  The  rug  should 
also  be  examined  at  the  back,  as  this  is 
often  cut  by  careless  handling  in  transit.  If 
these  cuts  are  small  a  skilful  repairer  will 
soon  remedy  the  defect,  but  if  they  are  very 
large  it  would  be  well  to  select  another  rug 
if  possible. 

If  moths  have  got  into  a  rug,  this  can  be 
detected  by  holding  it  up  to  the  light  to  see 

[  60  ] 


Characteristics  of  Oriental  Rugs 

if  there  are  any  holes  in  it;  but  if  a  fluff  conies 
out  of  the  rug  in  the  first  one  or  two  sweepings, 
it  is  a  sure  sign  that  moths  have  attacked  it. 

Some  rugs  are  made  crooked  from  the 
beginning,  owing  to  the  wool  with  which  they 
are  made  not  having  been  dried  evenly  or 
gradually.  A  crooked  rug  is  often  found 
among  the  Kurdish  rugs,  as  the  Kurds  are  a 
nomadic  people,  and  have  not  always  suitable 
water  and  drying  conveniences  in  their  vicin¬ 
ity.  These  points  should  be  borne  in  mind 
when  selecting  Oriental  rugs. 

The  most  expensive  and  beautiful  rugs  are 
Persian,  and  they  come  to  this  country  in  great 
quantities.  Ispahan,  Kirmans,  Sehnnas,  Kurd- 
istans,  Serabends,  and  Feraghans  are  the  best 
kinds.  Then  there  are  the  Anatolian  rugs 
from  Turkey.  A  variety  come  under  this  head 
from  Asia  Minor. 

The  Persian  rugs  are  made  very  carefully 
by  hand  on  looms  of  primitive  construction. 
The  only  tools  that  are  used  are  a  pair  of 
shears,  a  comb,  and  a  mallet.  No  changes 
have  been  made  in  the  mode  of  weaving  or 
in  the  pattern  used,  and  as  some  of  them  were 

in  use  before  the  days  of  Abraham  a  feeling 

[61] 


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almost  of  reverence  comes  over  one  in  seeing 
these  ancient  designs. 

The  Orientals  have  not  the  same  craze  for 
novelty  that  possesses  the  Western  people, 
and  much  of  their  success  in  rug-making  is 
due  to  this  fact.  There  is  much  individuality 
in  many  of  their  rugs,  and  those  who  under¬ 
stand  the  symbols  they  make  use  of  can  trace 
the  history  of  a  people  by  their  designs. 

A  Persian  never  stands  upon  a  rug  with  his 
shoes  on,  but  always  uncovers  his  feet;  this 
is  the  reason  so  many  beautiful  rugs  have  been 
preserved.  The  dyes  used  in  these  old  rugs 
were  all  vegetable  dyes,  made  by  a  process  of 
fermentation,  the  secrets  of  which  are  jealously 
guarded.  Of  late  years  Orientals  have  often  used 
aniline  dyes,  much  to  the  detriment  of  the  rugs. 

Ispahan 

Ispahan  rugs  were  often  made  for  the  carpets 
of  palaces,  and  were  dyed  in  the  most  beau¬ 
tiful  colorings.  Many  of  the  designs  are  floral: 
the  tulip,  the  pink,  the  lily,  the  rose,  and  the 
iris,  drawn  in  naturalistic  fashion,  are  gener¬ 
ally  made  use  of.  Mythological  designs  are 
much  used,  and  also  tree  forms,  animal  forms, 

[62] 


Characteristics  of  Oriental  Rugs 

and  demons,  giving  a  quaint  appearance  to  the 
rug.  Closely  resembling  the  Ispahans  are  the 
Teheran  and  Joshghan,  the  difference  between 
them  being  hard  to  detect,  even  by  an  expert. 

Kerman 

Kerman  rugs  are  made  of  a  very  fine  quality 
of  wool,  so  carefully  spun  that  a  novice  can 
readily  recognize  a  Kerman  by  its  quality. 
Such  symbolic  figures  as  the  tree  of  life,  the 
cypress-tree,  weapons,  crowns,  and  altars  may 
be  found  in  these  rugs.  The  most  familiar 
design  is  a  floriated  medallion  for  the  centre 
of  the  rug,  with  floriated  corners,  frequently 
depicting  flowers  growing  in  a  vase,  with  birds 
perching  on  the  sprays.  There  is  a  great  deal 
of  faking  in  the  making  of  genuine  Kermans. 
They  are  washed  with  chemicals  to  produce 
the  soft  coloring,  and  in  some  cases  they  are 
partly  made  by  machinery,  so  that  it  is  essen¬ 
tial  to  be  guided  by  an  expert  before  buying 
one  of  these  costly  rugs. 

Sehnna 

The  Sehnnas  usually  come  in  small  sizes, 

and  are  now  becoming  very  rare.  The  nap 

[63] 


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is  cut  very  close,  and  they  do  not  have  the 
high  pile  which  would  make  them  rich-looking 
for  floor  coverings.  The  design  is  usually  dia¬ 
mond-shaped,  being  stiff  and  formal,  though 
minute  and  exquisite  in  detail,  and  somewhat 
resembles  a  Kerman  in  the  use  of  floral  motifs. 
The  medallion  is  usually  on  a  background  of 
red,  green,  yellow,  or  cream.  These  rugs  are 
beautifully  made,  owing  to  the  process  of 
knotting  and  warping,  and  are  good  examples 
of  the  weaver’s  art  in  both  color  and  texture. 

Kurdistan 

These  rugs  have  a  heavy,  glossy,  lustrous 
quality,  as  they  are  woven  with  both  warp 
and  weft  of  wool.  The  selvedge  shows  a 
chequered  effect  and  braided  loops  extend 
beyond  the  fringe.  It  is  very  hard  for  a  novice 
to  be  sure  of  a  Kurdistan,  as  they  are  made  by 
the  Kurds,  who  are  wanderers  in  the  mountain 
districts  of  Persia,  and  as  they  copy  all  kinds 
of  designs  they  present  a  great  variety  of 
motifs  and  peculiarities  of  other  makes  of  rugs. 
Their  wearing  qualities  are  excellent,  and 
when  a  straight  rug  can  be  obtained  it  will 

be  found  very  desirable.  The  predominant 

[  64  ] 


Characteristics  of  Oriental  Rugs 

colors  are  dull  red  or  blue,  and  the  dyes  are 
absolutely  to  be  relied  upon.  These  rugs  are 
so  well  made  and  heavy  that  many  connois¬ 
seurs  consider  a  Kurdistan  the  most  desirable 
of  all  rugs. 

Khorassan 

Khorassans  may  generally  be  known  by 
their  naturalistic  drawing  of  flower  motifs, 
symmetrically  arranged.  A  large  and  small 
pear  design,  and  a  palm-leaf  design  are  also 
often  introduced,  showing  East-Indian  in¬ 
fluence.  The  feature  of  a  Khorassan  rug, 
however,  is  an  unusual  look  given  to  the  back 
of  the  rugs,  owing  to  the  peculiarities  in  weav¬ 
ing.  Four  or  more  rows  of  knots  are  tied 
without  a  weft  thread  to  support  them.  Strands 
of  weft  are  thrown  across,  followed  by  more 
rows  of  knots,  which  gives  this  diversified 
appearance  to  the  back  of  the  rug. 

Serabend 

The  Serabend  rug  can  be  told  by  its  palm- 
leaf  centre,  which  can  be  found  in  all  Sera- 
bends  in  one  or  more  forms,  as  the  pear,  the 

loop,  etc.  They  closely  resemble  the  finest 
5  [65] 


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cashmere  shawls  in  design;  the  palm  leaf  is 
a  sacred  symbol,  representing  the  River  Indus 
as  seen  from  the  mosque  to  which  devotees  are 
making  their  pilgrimage.  The  warp  and  weft 
of  the  Serabends  are  cotton,  and  the  pile  is 
wool. 


Feraghans 

Feraghans  closely  resemble  Serabend  rugs, 
but  are  not  as  finely  woven.  They  usually 
come  in  small  sizes.  A  distinctive  floral  ar¬ 
rangement,  known  as  a  Feraghan  feature, 
introduces  a  spray  of  flowers  at  regular  inter¬ 
vals  on  the  field  of  a  rug.  A  conventionalized 
rose  and  an  indication  of  a  trellis  are  also 
found  in  these  rugs. 

Mosuls 

Mosuls  are  sometimes  classed  with  Persian 
rugs,  though  really  they  are  woven  by  the 
nomadic  tribes  consisting  of  Kurds,  Bedouins, 
and  Yezides,  who  pitch  their  tents  around  the 
old  walled  city  of  Mosul.  The  designs  of 
these  rugs  show  a  strange  combination  of 
motifs,  Persian,  Caucasian,  1  urkish,  Chinese, 

and  Saracenic.  These  combinations  of  design 

[66] 


Characteristics  of  Oriental  Rugs 

are  most  perplexing  to  the  uninitiated.  They 
can  be  distinguished,  however,  by  an  overcast 
of  the  red  thread  or  black  haircloth  on  the 
edges,  the  nap  also,  which  is  very  thick,  comes 
close  to  the  selvedge,  forming  a  heavy  cord 
down  the  edge. 


Iran 

Iran  is  another  name  for  Persian  rugs,  and 
simply  denotes  that  the  Persians  are  antique. 
The  colors  in  most  of  the  Persian  rugs  are 
strong  yellows,  greens,  purples,  and  old  reds; 
while  most  of  the  designs  are  realistic  and 
floral. 

Turkoman 

Turkoman  rugs  are  named  from  the  coun¬ 
tries  or  localities  in  which  they  are  made,  and 
come  from  Khiva,  Yomud,  Bokhara,  Afghan¬ 
istan  and  Beloochistan.  Nearly  all  the  Turk¬ 
oman  rugs  have  a  groundwork  of  deep  rich 
red. 

Beloochistan 

Beloochistan  rugs  resemble  Bokharas;  they 

are  somewhat  crude,  and  come  in  numerous 

[67] 


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designs — browns,  reds,  and  purples  are  the 
usual  combinations  of  colors,  but  their  charm 
lies  in  the  beautiful  bloom  that  most  of  them 
have,  for  the  wool  used  is  particularly  soft  and 
silky.  These  rugs  may  be  known  by  their 
elaborate  selvedges,  which  are  sometimes  ten 
inches  long  in  moderate-sized  rugs  and  display 
wonderful  patterns. 


T  omud 

The  designs  vary  so  much  in  these  rugs  that 
no  particular  feature  can  be  taken  to  identify 
any  special  style.  Elongated  diamond  forms 
appear  in  many  of  the  rugs.  The  pile,  warp, 
and  weft  are  of  fine  hair  or  wool,  and  they  are 
often  mistaken  for  Bokharas.  The  deep  plum 
red  in  which  they  are  made  is  one  of  their 
chief  charms. 

Bokharas 

Bokhara  rugs  are  among  the  most  durable, 
but  the  antique  ones  are  very  rare.  They 
come  in  deep  reds  with  square  little  figures  all 
over  them.  Anatolian  rugs  are  close  and  fine 

in  texture,  and  are  celebrated  for  their  rich 

[68] 


Characteristics  of  Oriental  Rugs 

colorings  of  blue,  green  and  red.  Many  de¬ 
signs  are  used,  one  of  the  most  popular  being 
called  the  “Temple.”  It  has  a  plain  centre  of 
green  and  red  with  a  pointed  design  at  one 
end,  supposed  to  represent  the  entrance  to 
the  mosque.  Many  of  these  rugs  have  the 
pointed  arches,  and  when  a  rug  is  laid  on  the 
ground  by  an  Oriental  the  arch  always  points 
toward  Mecca. 


Ouchak 

Large-sized  Turkish  carpets  are  grouped 
under  the  name  of  Ouchak.  Modern  methods 
are  observable  in  these  rugs,  and  large  surfaces 
are  left  plain  to  suit  the  European  and  Western 
ideas  of  observing  single-color  effects  in  fur¬ 
nishing.  They  come  mostly  in  very  bright 
reds  with  a  mixture  of  blue. 

Afghans 

Afghans  resemble  very  closely  the  Bokharas. 
A  large  hexagon  design  in  which  there  is 
always  a  trefoil  is  the  chief  characteristic  of 
these  rugs.  They  come  in  large  sizes,  and 

are  almost  square.  They  are  larger  and 

[69] 


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heavier  than  Bokharas,  and  are  of  somewhat 
coarser  texture. 

Khiva 

Khivas  are  very  much  akin  to  the  Yomud 
and  Afghan  rugs,  but  the  deepest  shade  of 
red  known  is  always  found  in  Khiva  rugs.  The 
appearance  of  the  rug  is  kaleidoscopic  in  effect, 
which  gives  it  a  distinctive  charm  of  its  own. 


Caucasian 

The  list  of  Caucasian  rugs  is  a  long  one, 
including  the  Kazak,  Derebend,  Daghestan, 
Shirvan,  Karabagh,  Kabistan,  Guenja,  Cash- 
mere,  Sumac,  and  Mosul. 

Kazak 

There  is  no  end  to  the  wear  of  a  Kazak  rug. 
Their  thickness  and  durability,  and  their 
strong,  daring  coloring  are  their  chief  char¬ 
acteristics.  A  very  fine  quality  of  wool  or 
hair  is  used,  making  them  beautiful  and  lus¬ 
trous.  The  selvedges  are  braided  in  the  same 

way  that  Turkish  girls  plait  their  hair.  They 

[70] 


Characteristics  of  Oriental  Rugs 

are  bold  in  design.  Beasts,  birds,  trees,  and 
human  beings  are  adapted  for  their  designs  in 
geometrical  forms. 

Daghestan 

The  Daghestan  rug  is  not  unlike  a  Kazak 
in  design,  but  is  more  closely  woven  and 
possesses  a  shorter  nap.  The  general  name  of 
Daghestan  has  been  misapplied  to  Kabistan, 
Shirvan,  and  Bakus  rugs.  Their  chief  charac¬ 
teristic  is  that  they  have  no  fringe  on  their 
ends.  Antique  Daghestan  rugs  have  been  used 
by  the  Persians  for  prayer-mats  for  generations. 
They  are  very  beautiful  in  soft-toning  colors, 
but  they  are  becoming  very  scarce. 

Shirvan 

Shirvan  rugs  resemble  Daghestans  very 
closely,  but  the  yarn  is  lighter  in  weight  and 
they  have  the  shorter  nap  of  all  the  Caucasian 
rugs.  The  principal  patterns  are  prayer  pat¬ 
terns,  or  geometrical  or  floral  figures.  Peacock- 
blue  is  generally  found  in  the  body  of  the  rug, 
while  red  and  yellow  are  introduced  in  diagonal 
lattice  work.  The  borders  are  full  of  detail 

[  71 1 


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of  arabesque  designs  and  conventionalized 
flower  patterns. 

Cashmere  or  Sumac 

The  designs  of  these  rugs  are  very  like 
those  found  on  Daghestan  rugs,  the  ground¬ 
work  usually  being  in  blues  and  reds,  while 
yellow,  green,  and  black  are  introduced  in  the 
borders.  These  rugs  are  the  lightest  weight 
of  all  the  Oriental  rugs,  and  can  be  dis¬ 
tinguished  by  the  fine,  even  texture  of  the 
front  of  the  rug  and  the  rough,  shaggy  appear¬ 
ance  of  the  back.  They  are  mostly  used  over 
filling  or  matting,  as  they  are  hardly  heavy 
enough  to  use  on  a  hardwood  floor.  Owing 
to  the  closeness  of  the  weave,  they  are  ex¬ 
tremely  durable. 

Kilhms 

Different  from  the  other  rugs  are  the  Killims, 
which  have  no  nap,  and  are  woven  by  a  needle; 
they  are  alike  on  both  sides.  They  are  used 
for  portieres,  couch  covers,  and  table  cloths. 
They  are  too  light  in  weight  to  be  used  as 
winter  floor  coverings,  but  are  ideal  for 
summer  cottages. 

[  72 1 


Characteristics  of  Oriental  Rugs 


Samarkand 

Samarkand  rugs  are  Chinese  in  character, 
and  form  a  class  by  themselves.  They  are 
bold  in  design,  and  are  yellow,  orange,  and 
red  in  tones.  They  are  coarsely  woven,  but 
make  suitable  rugs  for  dens. 


Care  of  Rugs 

People  who  own  good  rugs  are  often  very 
careless  in  sending  them  away  to  carpet- 
cleaners  without  understanding  the  process  they 
will  undergo.  The  Orientals  frequently  wash 
their  rugs,  sometimes  soaking  them  in  milk, 
which  gives  them  a  soft,  lustrous  appearance. 

In  washing  rugs,  a  very  simple  way  is  to  take 
them  out  on  the  floor  of  the  piazza,  scrub 
them  thoroughly  with  warm  ammonia  suds 
or  with  a  solution  of  soap  bark,  afterward 
rinsing  in  several  waters,  until  all  the  soap  is 
removed.  To  remove  the  dust  from  a  rug, 
it  should  be  carried  on  to  the  grass  and  beaten 
with  a  light  whip  or  carpet-beater,  on  the 
surface  only,  which  will  bring  the  dust  to  the 
surface,  when  it  may  easily  be  removed  with 
a  brush. 

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Never  beat  the  rug  on  the  wrong  side,  as  it 
tends  to  weaken  it  by  breaking  the  warp  and 
the  weft. 

To  hinder  moths  from  getting  in  the  rugs, 
the  easiest  and  most  efficacious  way  is  to  use 
them  all  the  time,  and  not  to  put  them  away. 
Many  people  send  their  rugs  to  their  summer 
homes  for  this  reason.  If  the  home  is  closed 
for  the  summer,  and  there  is  no  opportunity 
for  sending  them  away,  have  them  thoroughly 
cleaned  and  wrapped  in  tar  paper. 


1 74  3 


06 

W 

> 

< 

> 


CHAPTER  VII 


Home-made  Rugs 

The  expense  of  furnishing  is  so  great  that, 
whenever  possible,  it  is  no  little  help  to  make 
something  for  the  home  out  of  material  that 
would  otherwise  be  wasted.  Owing  to  the 
revived  interest  in  old-fashioned  furniture 
and  in  the  love  of  simple  things  for  the  home, 
rag  rugs  have  become  universally  popular. 
These,  however,  can  be  bought  in  such  ex¬ 
quisite  colorings  at  stores  that  it  seems  futile 
to  make  them;  but  there  are  several  varieties 
that  can  be  made  at  home  from  old  clothing 
which,  when  placed  upon  matting  or  bare  floors, 
reduce  the  rug  bill  and  add  to  the  decorative 
appearance  of  the  home. 

In  olden  days  the  dye  pot  played  an  im¬ 
portant  part  in  the  making  of  rugs,  for  all  old 
clothing  was  carefully  hoarded  and  torn  into 
strips  and  neatly  sewed  together  in  odd 
lengths.  These  strips  were  wound  into  loose 
hanks  which  were  dipped  in  the  dye  pot,  when 

[  75  1 


Home  Decoration 

they  took  on  a  new  lease  of  life,  owing  to  their 
soft  and  beautiful  colorings.  Vegetable  dyes 
were  invariably  used,  so  it  is  not  surprising 
'that  to-day  so  many  of  these  old-time  rugs 
are  still  beautiful  in  color,  mellowed  only  by 
time.  Old  stockings,  old  undershirts,  petti¬ 
coats,  and  dress  materials  of  all  kinds  were 
utilized  in  the  making  of  these  rugs,  for  when 
they  were  dyed  and  worked  up  in  the  rugs 
the  variety  of  texture  only  added  to  their 
beauty.  There  were  always  a  few  balls  of 
white  rags,  which  were  put  on  one  side  for 
the  purpose  of  introducing  white  bands  of 
color  when  it  was  deemed  necessary. 

In  a  colonial  bedroom  what  could  be  prettier 
with  the  old-fashioned  chuck-bottomed  chairs 
or  hickory  furniture  than  one  of  these  quaint, 
old  plaited  or  crocheted  rugs.  Their  advan¬ 
tage  lies  in  their  economy  and  in  the  fact  of 
their  being  washable,  which  appeals  strongly 
to  the  housekeeper  of  to-day. 

Plaited  Rugs 

The  simplest  rugs  are  those  that  are  plaited, 

knitted,  and  crocheted.  The  plaited  rug  may 

be  either  oval,  square,  or  round.  When  the 

[  76  ] 


H  ome-made  Rugs 

strips  are  torn,  thin  material  must  be  about 
one  and  a  half  inches  wide,  and  thick  material 
about  half  an  inch  wide;  when  plaited,  they 
take  up  the  same  amount  of  space.  Take 
either  three  colors  or  three  shades  for  the 
plaited  rug,  and  plait  a  strip  about  one  yard 
long.  Lay  the  half-yard,  when  plaited,  on 
the  table  and  re-turn  the  other  half-yard  and 
neatly  sew  them  together.  Continue  plaiting 
from  half  a  yard  to  a  yard  at  a  time,  sewing 
the  plaits  together  as  the  work  progresses. 
Many  people  get  their  length  of  stuff  tangled 
up,  but  this  can  be  avoided  by  plaiting  only 
short  lengths  of  material,  and  having  one  end 
in  the  plait  much  shorter  than  the  other  two. 
It  is  very  easy  to  keep  on  adding  new  pieces, 
but  if  one  attempts  to  plait  a  long  strip  at 
once  the  material  becomes  frayed  and  the 
worker  does  not  find  it  easy  to  do.  There  is  a 
very  great  difference  in  the  appearance  of 
these  rugs.  Some  workers  turn  in  the  edge  of 
each  strip  as  they  plait,  while  others  leave  the 
raw  edges  slightly  frayed,  and  prefer  its 
artistic  appearance  to  the  neater  rug.  This 
can  be  left  entirely  to  the  choice  of  the  worker, 
as  the  extremely  particular  housekeeper  will 

[  77  1 


Home  Decoration 

prefer  the  neat  rug,  while  the  woman  who 
likes  to  get  artistic  results  from  quick  work 
will  favor  the  rough-and-ready  plaiting. 

In  looking  at  the  group  of  round  rugs,  it 
will  be  noticed  how  pretty  the  effect  is  of 
two  or  three  rows  of  plain  material  breaking 
up  the  hit-or-miss  surface.  The  large  oval 
rug  is  made  in  three  shades  of  denim,  and  has 
been  used  in  a  hall  for  over  five  years,  and 
to-day  shows  no  sign  of  wear — this  photograph 
being  taken  in  its  old  age. 

Crocheted  Rugs 

Those  who  are  fond  of  crocheting  will  find 
the  making  of  these  rugs  quick  and  delightful 
work.  They  can  be  made  of  rags,  which 
should  be  torn  about  half  an  inch  wide. 
Flannelette  is  particularly  charming,  as  it  is 
so  soft  to  the  feet.  If  they  are  to  be  of  light 
weight,  the  material  will  just  be  crocheted  in 
the  round.  Begin  with  a  chain  of  four  stitches 
and  join  together  with  a  crochet  hook.  In¬ 
crease  the  round  about  eight  stitches,  and 
increase  the  same  number  for  each  round. 
Crocheters  do  not  all  work  alike,  and  if  this 
is  found  to  be  too  full,  do  not  add  as  many  as 

[78] 


CROCHETED  RUG 


Home-made  Rug 

eight  stitches.  The  rug  must  lie  perfectly 
flat  and  smooth.  Single  crochet  or  Afghan 
stitch  is  used. 

Many  people  prefer  a  thick  and  heavy  rug, 
especially  if  it  is  to  be  used  down-stairs;  and 
in  order  to  make  this  really  solid,  manila  rope 
can  be  used  with  the  material,  holding  it  in 
the  hand  and  crocheting  over  the  rope.  If  a 
rope  is  found  to  be  too  heavy,  a  round  lamp 
wick  can  be  utilized  instead,  but  this  makes  a 
much  softer  rug.  For  a  heavy  rug  an  ordinary 
clothes-line  is  the  best  filling.  Shaker  flannel 
is  variegated  in  appearance,  and  is  perhaps 
the  best  of  all  materials  for  making  crocheted 
rugs.  If  this  is  bought  between  seasons, 
remnants  can  often  be  obtained  for  a  very 
small  price.  Experience  will  enable  the  worker 
to  find  out  how  many  pounds  of  material 
to  use.  It  is  impossible  to  give  the  exact  weight 
as  one  worker  will  use  twice  as  much  material 
as  another,  according  to  the  looseness  of  the 
crocheting  or  the  size  of  the  hook. 

I  have  seen  beautiful  fancy  rugs  made  from 
unbleached  muslin  dyed  in  exquisite  shades 
and  torn  only  half  an  inch  in  width  and  with¬ 
out  any  filling.  All  sorts  of  intricate  patterns 

[  79  1 


Home  Decoration 

can  be  made,  and  designs  of  all  kinds  can  be 
worked  out  by  a  skilful  worker.  As  the  beauty 
of  these  rugs  depends  upon  their  coloiing,  and 
as  this  is  not  easy  to  plan  for,  dyeing  can  be 
resorted  to,  after  the  rug  is  completed,  by 
staining  some  attractive  pattern  on  the  rug 
both  back  and  front.  This  should  be  done 
by  means  of  a  stencil,  so  as  to  keep  the  edges 
clear,  and  the  dye  should  be  allowed  to  soak 
in  so  as  to  permeate  well  through  the  crochet 
work. 

Knitted  Rugs 

Those  who  are  interested  in  knitting  are 
always  on  the  lookout  for  some  new  ideas  so 
that  they  may  keep  their  needles  busy.  A 
knitted  rug  is  made  even  more  quickly  than 
a  crocheted  one.  It  is  best  to  wind  the  material 
into  balls,  and  to  decide  on  two  or  three  colors 
beforehand.  The  material  should  be  cut  not 
more  than  half  an  inch  wide,  and,  of  course, 
must  be  neatly  joined  together  before  being 
wound.  These  rugs  are  made  in  the  following 
way:  Knit  a  strip  six  inches  wide  and  twelve 
inches  long.  Then  knit  another  strip,  which 
may  be  of  another  color,  four  inches  wide,  and 

[80] 


Home-made  Rugs 

make  it  long  enough  to  go  entirely  around  the 
six-inch  strip.  The  right  length  must  be 
determined  by  laying  the  wide  strip  on  the 
table  and  laying  the  new  strip  beside  it.  The 
corners  must  be  slightly  fulled  so  that  the  oval 
will  lie  perfectly  flat.  Do  not  take  out  the 
needles  until  the  strip  is  neatly  sewed  to  the 
centre  piece,  so  that  more  can  be  added  if  the 
strip  has  worked  up  in  sewing.  A  third  strip 
would  make  a  rug  fifty-six  inches  long  and 
forty  inches  wide;  and  if  a  larger  rug  is 
desired,  a  fourth  strip  would  make  a  rug 
sixty-four  inches  long,  every  strip  increasing 
the  rug  eight  inches  in  length.  These  rugs 
are  pretty  when  placed  in  front  of  a  bureau 
or  for  a  hearth-rug,  especially  in  a  living-room 
in  conjunction  with  mission  furniture. 

Hooked  or  Pulled  Rugs 

The  hooked  or  pulled  rug  is  one  of  the  most 
durable  and  artistic  of  the  home-made  rugs. 
About  ten  years  ago  Mrs.  Albee  started  an 
industry  for  the  making  of  these  rugs.  At 
that  time  the  usual  designs  were  so  ugly  that 
they  were  seen  only  in  kitchens  or  farm-houses, 
and  were  made  by  country  people  from  the  old 

6  r  St  1 


Home  Decoration 

clothing  of  the  family.  These  crude  floor 
coverings  were  appreciated  because  they  were 
so  durable  and  could  be  made  quickly  at  a 
nominal  cost.  Mrs.  Albee  saw  the  possibility 
of  the  rug,  and  owing  to  her  splendid  enthu¬ 
siasm,  a  glorified  pulled  rug  was  evolved.  It 
was  made  in  the  old  way,  but  new  flannel  was 
substituted.  This  was  dyed  in  soft,  rich  colors 
and  was  worked  up  into  beautiful  rugs.  c 
used  only  good  designs  which  she  adapted 
from  Indian  motifs.  They  were  named 
“  Abnakee”  rugs,  and  have  been  much  appre¬ 
ciated  by  those  who  have  used  them.  Rugs 
are  made  to-day  from  Mrs.  Albee’s  directions, 
and  the  industry  is  now  being  taken  up  in 
many  parts  of  the  country.  _  # 

The  process  is  exceedingly  simple,  requiring 
very  little  outlay.  A  small  frame  of  soft  wood 
forty-eight  inches  long  by  seventeen  inches 
wide  is  needed.  This  is  made  of  strips  two 
inches  wide  and  one  inch  thick.  The  frame 
should  be  made  adjustable  by  the  use  of  pegs 
fitting  into  auger  holes.  A  good  carpenter 

can  build  one. 

The  rugs  are  made  on  burlap  of  a  good, 
even  quality.  The  designs  must  be  stencilled 

[8a] 


Home-made  Rugs 

onto  the  burlap,  which  is  then  put  into  the 
frame.  The  material  used  is  a  soft,  unbleached 
all-wool  flannel,  cut  lengthwise  into  strips 
about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  wide.  The  only 
implement  needed  is  an  iron  hook,  which  can 
be  made  out  of  a  forty-penny  nail.  It  should 
be  about  five  inches  long,  including  the  handle, 
filed  into  shape  at  the  end  and  curved  back¬ 
ward. 

Good  designs  are  the  most  important 
features.  The  most  successful  for  rug-making 
are  those  adapted  from  Indian  motifs.  Some 
are  from  Oriental  rugs,  while  others  are  geo¬ 
metrical  in  form,  with  pronounced  borders 
and  plain  centres.  Each  worker  should  en¬ 
deavor  to  be  her  own  designer,  or  should  utilize 
simple  Indian  designs.  Broad,  strong  lines 
must  be  used  so  as  to  make  the  designs  as 
barbaric  and  crude  as  possible. 

The  stencils  are  usually  stamped  on  the 
burlap  by  means  of  a  heavy  bristle  brush. 
Other  workers  have  preferred  to  make  the 
color  of  the  design  correspond  to  the  final 
color  of  the  rug. 

As  it  is  impossible  to  get  flannel  in  suitable 

colorings,  it  must  be  dyed.  This  is  the  most 

[83] 


Home  Decoration 

troublesome  part,  but  the  results  make  it  well 
worth  while.  Some  people  prefer  the  vegetable 
dyes,  while  others  find  the  best  commercial 
dyes  perfectly  satisfactory.  It  is  best  to  dye 
a  piece  of  flannel  only  five  or  six  yards  long. 
Each  dip  comes  out  a  different  shade,  thereby 
insuring  a  soft  tint  in  the  rug  and  making  an 
unevenness  of  light  and  shade  not  possible  to 

achieve  in  any  other  way. 

The  rugs  are  actually  made  by  hooking  the 
strips  of  flannel  through  the  burlap  in  little 
loops  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  high.  These 
may  be  left  rather  uneven.  When  the  rug  is 
finished,  it  is  gone  over  with  sharp  shears  and 
the  highest  loops  are  cut,  leaving  a  mixture  of 
loops  and  straight  ends.  Some  rugs  have  a 
pile  half  an  inch  thick,  while  others  have  one 

about  one-quarter  of  an  inch. 

When  pulling  out  the  loops  the  hook  is  held 
in  the  right  hand  above  the  cloth,  while  the 
strip  of  cloth  in  the  left  hand  below  is  allowed 
to  be  drawn  loosely  through  the  fingers.  The 
frame  should  rest  lightly  on  two  tables,  the 
worker  sitting  comfortably  so  that  she  need 
not  stoop  over  her  work.  Begin  at  the  rig  t 

hand  corner  of  the  frame  and  work  toward 

[84] 


Home-made  Rugs 

the  middle,  backward  and  forward.  This 
method  is  followed  satisfactorily  by  some 
people,  while  others  have  frames  as  large  as 
the  finished  rug,  and  work  all  the  way  across. 
Each  worker,  however,  has  her  own  method, 
which  is  usually  arrived  at  by  the  best  of  all 
teachers — Experience. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
How  to  Stain  Floors 

The  care  and  finish  of  wood  is  a  problem 
which  has  to  be  met  sooner  or  later  by  every 
homemaker.  How  many  floors  are  spoiled 
by  the  wrong  kind  of  treatment !  The  majority 
of  people,  when  they  have  a  floor  to  stain, 
buy  a  ready-made  can  of  varnish  and  stain, 
mixed,  and  then  are  disappointed  that  the 
appearance  of  the  floor  is  not  what  they  had 
expected.  It  is  impossible  to  make  a  beautiful 
floor  surface  with  this  makeshift,  and  patience 
and  care  are  needed  to  obtain  good  results. 
Good  hardwood  floors  are  the  most  serviceable. 
The  expense  of  having  them  properly  finished 
can  be  minimized  by  the  homemakers  doing 
the  work  themselves.  Soft  woods,  such  as 
Southern  pine,  Oregon  pine,  Washington  fir, 
and  redwood  can  be  made  to  look  almost  as 
rich  as  hardwood  by  careful  treatment.  If  the 
woodwork  is  new  it  is  easy  to  stain  the  floors 

satisfactorily,  and  no  one  need  be  deterred 

[86] 


How  to  Stain  Floors 

from  doing  it.  Old  floors  covered  with  shabby 
marks  can  be  renovated  very  easily,  as  there 
are  excellent  materials  on  the  market  for 
removing  stains. 

The  floor  must  first  be  treated  with  a  good 
solvent,  which  should  be  applied  with  an  or¬ 
dinary  paint  brush.  It  wdl  immediately  soften 
all  the  old  coating  so  that  it  can  be  easily 
removed,  leaving  the  wood  bare  and  clean, 
ready  for  the  new  finish.  After  the  solvent  is 
applied  to  the  whole  surface,  go  over  it  with 
a  painter’s  putty  knife,  which  will  remove  all 
the  old  material.  If  a  great  many  bad  coats 
of  varnish  and  stain  have  been  used,  the  solvent 
may  have  to  be  applied  a  second  time,  though 
this  is  rarely  necessary.  When  most  of  the 
old  stain  has  been  removed,  wipe  the  surface 
clean  with  a  cloth  or  waste  saturated  with 
naphtha  or  benzine;  care  being  taken  that 
no  artificial  light  is  near,  and  that  the  win¬ 
dows  are  open.  The  best  kind  of  waste 
to  use  is  fine  steel  wool,  as  this  hastens  the 
work,  having  some  grit  to  it.  When  the  wood 
is  perfectly  dry,  it  is  then  ready  for  the  finish. 
If  there  is  no  hurry  about  removing  the  old 

finish,  it  will  be  found  that  the  longer  the 

[87] 


Home  Decoration 

solvent  is  allowed  to  remain  on  the  floor  before 
being  scraped  off  the  easier  it  will  be  to  remove 
it.  Sometimes  it  can  be  left  on  a  whole  day. 

The  next  process  is  to  color  the  floor  the 
desired  shade.  The  choice  of  this  will  be 
governed  by  the  kind  of  wood  of  which  the 
floor  is  made.  Oak  should  not  be  stained  with 
mahogany  dye.  If  the  floor  is  oak,  the  ques¬ 
tion  must  be  decided  whether  the  finish  is 
to  be  weathered  oak,  brown  weathered  oak, 
green  weathered  oak,  Flemish  oak,  or  light 
oak.  Color  cards  can  usually  be  obtained 
of  wood  dye,  so  that  the  shade  can  be  seen 
before  the  dye  is  purchased. 

The  best  woods  for  floors  to  be  made  of  are 
oak,  maple,  or  pine.  Maple  is  perhaps  the 
wood  par  excellence  for  all-round  service.  If 
it  is  desired  that  the  floor  be  left  the  natural 
color,  a  wood  filler  must  be  used  in  place  of 
the  dye.  Such  can  be  obtained  so  as  to  make 
the  grain  of  the  woodwork  appear  dark  or 
light,  whichever  is  preferred. 

The  last  process  for  an  unstained  hardwood 
floor  is  to  apply  a  coat  of  good  beeswax.  This 
can  be  made  at  home.  Buy  the  beeswax  by 

the  pound;  shave  it  down,  and  cover  it  with 

[88] 


How  to  Stain  Floors 


turpentine.  Put  it  on  the  back  of  the  range 
to  allow  it  to  melt  very  slowly;  when  soft  it 
will  be  ready  for  use.  It  should  be  of  the 
consistency  of  lard  when  melted.  Beeswax  is 
expensive,  and  unless  it  can  be  obtained  whole¬ 
sale  it  is  as  costly  to  buy  as  the  wax  ready 
prepared.  Usually  two  coats  are  needed.  The 
quickest  way  to  polish  the  floor  is  to  use 
a  weighted  brush.  If  there  are  many  rooms 
in  the  house  requiring  a  wax  finish,  it  is  essen¬ 
tial  to  invest  in  one  of  these  brushes,  as  too 
much  time  would  be  spent  in  polishing  several 
floors  with  a  cloth  or  hand  mit.  They  can  be 
obtained  for  three  dollars,  but  this  price  must 
be  considered  as  against  the  time  and  strength 
spent  in  doing  the  work  by  hand.  After  the 
floors  are  polished,  the  weighted  brush  will 
be  needed  only  about  every  two  months  to 
keep  the  floors  in  perfect  order.  If  the  floor 
gets  worn  in  some  places,  add  more  beeswax, 
and  then  the  surface  will  appear  uniform. 

For  a  softwood  finish  dye  must  be  applied. 
One  gallon  of  dye  will  be  needed  to  cover  four 
hundred  square  feet  of  floor  space.  Before 
applying  the  dye  try  it  upon  a  small  piece  of 

wood  and  see  if  the  shade  is  the  color  desired. 

[89] 


Home  Decoration 


If  it  is  too  dark,  a  little  wood  alcohol  can  be 
added.  The  dye  must  be  applied  with  a  two- 
inch  camel’s-hair  brush  or  Fitch  brush.  If 
these  directions  are  followed,  a  very  serviceable 
and  artistic  floor  finish  will  be  the  result. 
Some  people  prefer  a  shellac  finish,  which  is, 
of  course,  brighter  than  the  wax.  If  this  is 
preferred,  one  coat  of  good  shellac  must  be 
applied  before  the  final  coat  of  wax.  The  cost 
is  very  slight  if  the  work  is  done  by  one  of  the 
household,  as  it  is  usually  the  labor  that  makes 
floor-staining  and  finishing  so  expensive. 

A  new  floor,  15  x  18  feet,  will  require  five 
pounds  of  wood  filler,  costing  fifty  cents,  and 
two  pounds  of  prepared  wax  costing  one 
dollar  and  twenty  cents,  showing  that  for  less 
than  two  dollars  the  floor  can  be  properly 
finished. 

For  a  hardwood  floor,  two  quarts  of  dye, 
five  pounds  of  filler,  and  two  pounds  of  wax 
will  be  required.  A  new  floor  with  a  shellac 
finish  will  cost  about  fifty  cents  more  and  will 
take  two  quarts  of  dye,  half  a  gallon  of  first- 
quality  floor  varnish,  and  one  pound  of  pre¬ 
pared  wax,  making  a  total  of  four  dollars. 


i 


craftsman’s  sofa 


CHAPTER  IX 


Furniture 

There  is  much  to  select  in  furniture  in  these 
days,  but  it  can  be  classified  under  two  divisions 
— good  and  bad.  Some  particular  piece  may 
be  good  in  itself,  but  it  must  be  appropriate 
to  the  place  and  purpose  for  which  it  is  used, 
or  it  will  cease  to  be  beautiful. 

Furniture  should  be  suitable  to  its  surround¬ 
ings.  The  life  for  which  the  white-and-gold 
furniture  was  designed  was  one  of  elaborate 
formality.  Ceremony  and  not  comfort  are 
suggested  by  rooms  furnished  in  this  style. 

Our  houses  should  not  be  overcrowded. 
Most  housekeepers  err  in  this  direction.  We 
do  not  want  our  homes  to  suggest  museums, 
with  shelves  laden  with  knicknacks.  Too 
many  small  things  only  make  a  room  look 
trivial  and  not  homelike.  William  Morris’s 
words,  “Have  nothing  in  your  houses  that  you 
do  not  know  to  be  useful,  or  believe  to  be 

beautiful,”  should  always  be  remembered. 

[91] 


Home  Decoration 

Some  people  think  if  a  thing  is  old  it  must 
of  necessity  be  good.  When  the  best  Georgian 
furniture  was  made  there  were,  even  then, 
men  who  made  furniture  from  poor  designs. 
The  quality  of  workmanship,  however,  was  so 
excellent  that  it  has  lasted  until  the  present 
day.  The  original  Georgian  designers  were 
masters  who  made  standards  in  architectural 
as  well  as  household  art. 

The  Adams  Brothers  were  great  architects 
as  well  as  great  designers.  Wedgwood,  Chip¬ 
pendale,  and  Flaxman  expressed  themselves  in 
material  forms,  and  we  reap  the  benefit  to-day. 
Chippendale  and  Sheraton  patterns  were 
brought  out  to  New  England  by  cabinet¬ 
makers  who  had  worked  under  these  masters 
in  England,  and  with  these  patterns  and  the 
skill  gained  by  years  of  practice  they  were 
able  to  make  as  good  furniture  in  the  new 
world  as  in  the  old.  Sometimes  they  used 
maple  and  cherry  when  mahogany  could  not 
be  had.  These  men  were  often  engaged  for 
months  at  a  time  by  the  old  colonial  families 
to  make  their  furniture  after  such  models.  As 
it  was  good  honest  handiwork,  and  the  wood 
was  well  seasoned,  it  is  no  wonder  that  much 

[  9^  ] 


Furniture 


of  it  still  remains  and  deserves  to  be  treasured 
by  those  who  have  the  good  fortune  to  pos¬ 
sess  it. 

A  careful  study  of  plates  of  colonial  furniture 
will  impress  the  best  designs  on  the  mind  so 
that  the  buyer  will  be  able  to  discriminate  be¬ 
tween  good  and  bad  furniture.  It  is  not  possible 
for  all  of  us  to  obtain  these  old  pieces,  but  there 
are  still  many  conscientious  cabinetmakers 
who  will  faithfully  reproduce  good  pieces, 
and  who  will  use  only  good,  seasoned  wood. 

Another  point  to  remember  when  furnishing 
a  room  is  the  size  of  the  furniture  to  be  con¬ 
sidered.  Large,  heavy  pieces  are  not  suitable 
in  a  room  when  it  already  seems  crowded  with 
two  easy  chairs.  It  is  best  not  to  mix  woods 
when  buying  anew.  Mission  and  colonial  fur¬ 
niture  are  often  in  the  same  room;  but  in  a 
case  where  the  room  is  to  be  newly  furnished, 
do  not  have  both.  Wicker  furniture  seems  to 
fit  anywhere.  It  is  especially  suitable  for 
living-rooms  and  bedrooms  on  account  of  its 
light  weight.  It  can  be  stained  brown,  green, 
or  mahogany,  and  goes  with  any  kind  of  fur¬ 
niture.  Never  buy  furniture  highly  varnished. 
It  is  inartistic  and  unserviceable.  A  bright 

[  93  ] 


H  ome  Decoration 


piece  bought  from  stock  can  always  be  rubbed 
down,  if  you  insist  upon  it;  or  if  ordered  from 
one  of  the  floor  samples,  it  can  just  as  easily 
be  “finished  dull” — a  term  meaning  the  polish 
of  “elbow  grease,”  but  not  of  varnish. 

In  the  houses  of  to-day  the  built-in  window 
seats,  hall  settles,  and  porch  benches  are  very 
sensible.  They  reduce  the  cost  of  furnishing 
and  add  much  to  the  decorative  qualities  of 
the  home. 

Another  thing  to  remember  when  buying 
furniture  is  not  to  choose  queer,  eccentric¬ 
looking  pieces  that  will  look  passe  in  a  year 
or  two.  Furniture  has  to  last  a  long  time, 
and  it  is  important  to  get  pieces  of  good  design 
and  finish,  which  will  keep  their  original  ap¬ 
pearance  after  years  of  service. 

There  is  a  quiet  dignity  about  craftsman’s 
furniture  that  makes  it  peculiarly  well  suited 
to  the  simply  furnished  home,  and  its  sturdy, 
straight  lines  give  it  a  feeling  of  stability.  So 
many  new  houses  of  to-day  are  finished  with 
trims  of  dark-stained  wood,  and  for  such 
houses  craftsman’s  furniture  is  invaluable. 
The  hand-beaten  copper  handles  add  just 
that  touch  of  color  and  relief  necessary  to 

[  94  ] 


a  craftsman’s  library  table 


Furniture 

break  the  monotony  of  the  straight  lines.  The 
craftsman’s  sofa  is  suggestive  of  how  a  room 
furnished  with  this  kind  of  furniture  should  be 
treated,  for  instead  of  being  filled  with  fluffy 
pillows  of  light  colors,  the  heavy  straightbacked 
pillows  of  craftsman’s  canvas  ornamented  with 
applique  are  absolutely  in  keeping. 

Charming  pieces  of  furniture  are  made  for 
dining-rooms,  and  the  little  sideboard  is 
beautiful  in  design  and  yet  does  not  take  up 
much  space  if  used  in  a  room  of  moderate  size. 
The  handles  could  be  of  copper,  black  iron, 
or  brass.  The  method  of  putting  this  fur¬ 
niture  together  with  tenon  and  wedge  joints, 
together  with  the  fact  that  all  the  wood  used 
for  craftsman’s  furniture  hasbeen  well  seasoned, 
makes  it  practically  indestructible.  Leather  is 
an  appropriate  covering,  the  color  of  the  skin 
seeming  to  melt  into  that  of  the  wood. 

In  looking  at  our  illustration  of  a  centre 
library  table,  notice  how  completely  in  har¬ 
mony  is  the  beaten-copper  lamp  and  grass 
shade  with  the  simple  lines  of  the  table. 

In  a  large  house  built  on  somewhat  Gothic 
lines,  the  furniture  made  at  Rose  Valley, 
Pa.,  is  particularly  appropriate.  The  ex- 

[  95  1 


Home  Decoration 


quisite  carving  shows  the  hand  of  a  master 
craftsman.  All  the  furniture  made  in  the 
workshops  at  Rose  Valley  is  designed  by 
Mr.  William  Price,  a  well-known  Philadelphia 
architect.  The  furniture  is  not  carried  in 
stock,  as  it  is  usually  made  to  order  and  de¬ 
signed  to  suit  the  house  in  which  it  is  to  be 
placed.  Our  illustrations  show  one  or  two 
samples  of  this  beautiful  furniture.  No  one 
can  see  the  Morris-chair  without  appreciating 
its  graceful  lines,  and  the  adjustable  seat 
makes  it  one  of  the  most  comfortable  chairs 
possible  to  imagine.  The  cushion  for  the  seat 
is  usually  made  several  inches  thicker  than 
that  of  the  back.  The  same  care  is  exercised 
in  the  upholstery  as  in  the  hand  carving  and 
construction.  Like  the  craftsman’s  furniture, 
most  of  it  is  held  together  by  tenon  and  wedge. 

When  the  furniture  is  all  in  place,  the  house 
must  be  studied  as  a  whole,  and  improvements 
made  by  readjusting  it,  finding  by  experience 
the  best  place  for  each  piece.  Strive  to  express 
your  individuality  in  your  home;  make  it 
beautiful;  and,  above  all,  adapt  it  to  your 
requirements  by  imparting  to  it  a  charm  that 

every  one  will  feel  on  crossing  your  threshold. 

[  96 1 


A  GOOD  EXAMPLE  OF  MORRIS  CHAIR 


CHAPTER  X 


The  Right  Use  of  Ornament  on  Furni¬ 
ture 

The  right  use  of  ornament  on  furniture  can 
only  be  successful  if  it  is  made  in  obedience 
to  the  law  of  use.  Utility  is  suggested  by 
simplicity  of  form,  and  the  ornamentation 
must  not  be  allowed  to  interfere  with  the 
original  purpose  of  the  article.  Much  thought 
is  needed  in  order  to  hit  the  happy  medium 
between  bald  simplicity  and  undue  elabora¬ 
tion,  but  there  are  few  who  understand  the 
art  of  knowing  where  to  stop.  The  considera¬ 
tion  of  use  cannot  be  too  strongly  emphasized. 
There  is  no  excuse  for  the  table  that  wabbles, 
the  chair  that  is  not  restful,  or  for  a  couch 
where  carved  ornament  in  the  back  deters  one 
from  making  use  of  it  as  a  lounge.  If  this 
interferes  with  the  original  purpose  of  the 
sofa,  it  is  bad  ornament,  however  well  it  may 
be  tooled. 

[  97  1 


7 


Home  Decoration 


It  will  be  found  that  the  most  successful 
enrichment  is  generally  suggested  by  some 
useful  purpose,  either  in  taking  away  from  the 
tiresomely  monotonous  effect  of  a  too  plain 
surface  or  by  making  it  more  useful  in  that 
it  will  not  become  so  easily  scratched,  because 
of  having  the  surface  broken  with  pattern. 

Simplicity  in  design  naturally  calls  for  good 
workmanship  and  good  materials.  The  most 
decorative  pieces  of  furniture  are  those  which 
rely  on  their  structural  quality  and  good  work¬ 
manship,  together  with  beautifully  finished 
woods,  rather  than  ornament  added  later. 
What  could  be  more  beautiful  than  the  deep- 
toned  browns  and  soft  grays  of  fumed  oak  or 
chestnut  that  give  to  the  wood  a  look  of  age, 
and  enhance  the  beauty  of  the  natural  grain 
far  more  than  an  application  of  varnish,  which 
wears  off  and  can  easily  be  scratched  ? 

A  year  or  two  ago,  when  visiting  some  beau¬ 
tiful  homes  in  England,  I  was  immensely  im¬ 
pressed  by  the  absence  of  any  so-called  finish 
on  the  wooden  panels.  Apparently  they  had 
only  been  subjected  to  the  process  of  filling 
and  fuming,  and  were  without  the  lustre  of 

even  a  wax  finish.  In  looking  at  new  oak  that 

[  98  ] 


The  Right  Use  of  Ornament 

is  free  from  varnish  it  will  be  noticed  what  a 
beautiful  wood  it  is,  well  adapted  in  tone  for 
many  color  schemes  that  harmonize  with  the 
color  of  the  wood. 

Furniture  should  be  chosen  of  structural 
simplicity,  relieved  only  by  the  colors  and 
changeful  effects  given  to  the  finish  of  the 
wood  and  the  leathers.  What  further  orna¬ 
ment  is  needed  for  a  sideboard  than  such 
accessories  as  hinges,  door  pulls,  and  escutch¬ 
eons  ?  They  may  be  as  ornamental  as  it  is 
possible  to  make  them,  but  they  must  be  in 
harmony  with  the  original  structural  sim¬ 
plicity  of  the  piece. 

Ornament  is  always  an  accessory,  but  it  can 
be  at  the  same  time  a  constructive  accessory, 
thereby  adding  to  the  beauty  of  the  design, 
and  showing  the  reason  for  its  existence  by  its 
conformity  to  rule. 

The  right  use  of  the  curve  should  add  orna¬ 
ment  to  the  furniture.  There  is  nothing  more 
beautiful  or  ornamental  in  the  way  of  a  chair 
than  the  old  fiddle-backed  arm-chair  of  colonial 
days,  pleasing  to  the  eye  with  its  graceful  lines, 
and  relying  for  ornament  on  its  beautiful 
curves.  The  foot  was  originally  a  club-foot, 

[99] 


Home  Decoration 


but  in  some  cases  it  is  carved,  and  the  ball  or 
claw-foot  came  to  be  used  instead  of  the  orig¬ 
inal  club-foot.  In  some  of  the  old  pieces  we 
sometimes  see  the  knee  carved,  and  the  back 
was  often  pierced  or  divided  by  interlacements 
of  bands.  The  original  shape  has  lived,  and 
to-day  its  superiority  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  best  designs  ever  made  for  a  chair,  and 
gradually  it  has  lost  its  ornament  and  relies 
only  upon  its  well-modulated  curves  for 
decoration.  The  old  Windsor  chair  has  also 
survived,  and  although  ornament  has  never 
been  introduced,  it  is  a  comfortable  and  beau¬ 
tiful  chair  which  will  never  go  out  of  fashion. 

In  looking  at  the  old  colonial  highboys,  we 
cannot  help  being  struck  by  their  graceful 
lines,  so  full  of  dignity.  The  plain  surface  is 
charmingly  broken  by  the  well-designed 
handles,  and  ornament  is  introduced  by  the 
graceful  lines  and  flaming  torches  surmounting 
the  drawers,  and  also  in  the  shell  beautifully 
carved  by  hand  and  placed  usually  in  the 
middle  lower  drawer. 

In  later  times  the  original  Morris-chair  was 
comfortable,  beautiful,  and  ornamental,  and 
bears  little  resemblance  to  the  immoral  chairs 

[  I  °0  ] 


The  Right  Use  of  Ornament 

turned  out  in  these  days  by  factories,  where 
ornament  has  played  havoc  with  the  well- 
thought-out  lines  designed  by  the  master.  In 
going  through  a  factory  of  Morris-chairs,  there 
would  in  all  probability  not  be  more  than  three 
designs  that  ought  to  be  allowed  to  exist. 
Carvings  on  the  arms,  carvings  on  the  knees, 
billowings  in  the  wrong  places  detract  from 
the  shape  of  the  chair  and  tend  to  make  it 
singularly  uncomfortable.  It  seems  incon¬ 
ceivable  that  when  such  a  good  chair  was 
designed  as  the  original  Morris-chair  any 
one  should  want  to  alter  it.  It  filled  every 
requirement,  and  yet  the  terrible  monstrosities 
that  bear  the  name  of  Morris-chairs  demoralize 
the  uninitiated.  We  have  to  thank  Messrs. 
Liberty  and  Heal,  of  London,  and  Mr.  Gustav 
Stickley,  of  America,  for  introducing  into  their 
respective  countries  simple,  well-constiucted 
furniture,  devoid  of  useless  ornament,  yet  satis¬ 
fying  in  its  lines— indeed  for  most  of  the  well- 
made  furniture  of  to-day.  George  W alton,  too, 
has  made  his  mark  in  furniture  designing- 
beautiful  in  line,  exquisite  in  detail,  the  orna¬ 
ment  always  subservient  to  the  first  principles 
in  art.  In  the  last  ten  years  enormous  strides 

[ioi  ] 


Home  Decoration 


have  been  made  in  the  designing  of  good  fur¬ 
niture,  for  which  we  cannot  be  too  thankful. 

There  are  some  pieces  of  furniture  that  seem 
harder  than  others  to  reform.  The  hall  hat- 
rack  is  one  of  them,  and  the  abortions  that 
have  existed  with  bevelled  mirrors  and  glued- 
on  carvings  have  no  excuse  for  their  survival. 
Beds  are  another  source  of  woefully  misdi¬ 
rected  ornament.  Wriggling,  tortuous  curves 
do  not  suggest  repose  in  the  slightest  degree. 
In  going  through  any  large  department  store, 
one  cannot  find  in  them  half  a  dozen  well- 
designed  beds  that  any  person  of  taste  would 
want  to  possess.  Good  brass  bedsteads  with 
straight  lines  and  simple  ornament  are  few 
and  far  between,  while  goosenecks  and  swirling 
curves  are  in  abundance,  not  only  in  the  brass, 
but  in  the  cheap  enamel-bedsteads.  For  sani¬ 
tary  reasons  wooden  bedsteads  are  not  so 
much  used  as  metal;  but  they  are  so  much 
more  beautiful  that  it  seems  a  pity  that  wood 
cannot  be  more  frequently  used  and  the 
mechanisms  where  dust  is  apt  to  lodge  be 
only  of  metal. 

There  has  been  a  great  improvement  in 

wicker  furniture  during  the  past  ten  years. 

[  102  3 


SIMPLE  LINES  AND  GOOD  CARVING 


The  Right  Use  of  Ornament 

Simple,  comfortable  shapes  in  chairs  and 
settees  can  now  be  obtained,  but  there  are  far 
too  many  of  the  lumpy,  bumpy  kind  still  to 
be  seen,  with  knobs  of  wood  run  on  to  the 
wicker,  detracting  from  all  sense  of  beauty  of 
line  and  construction. 

It  is  intended  that  ornament  should  please 
the  eye,  and  in  order  to  do  this  line  and  color 
must  in  themselves  be  beautiful  and  restrained 
by  absolute  fitness.  The  right  use  of  the  curve, 
which  is  the  line  of  beauty,  can  be  made  purely 
ornamental.  It  is  interesting  to  notice  the 
development  of  the  line  and  curve.  Full  of 
meaning  were  the  curves  in  the  Renaissance 
period,  and  how  suddenly  they  fell  away  from 
the  lines  of  pure  beauty  in  the  Louis-Quatorze 
and  Louis-Quinze  periods! 

Applied  ornament  is  usually  round  or  flat. 
To  the  round  belong  carving  and  all  forms  of 
relief;  to  the  flat,  geometrical  designs,  applied 
in  various  colors,  such  as  marquetry,  mosaic, 
buhl,  and  veneering.  Furniture  ornamented 
by  the  flat  style  is  in  itself  beautiful,  but  can 
only  be  placed  amidst  the  right  surroundings. 
Rich  hangings,  costly  woods,  and  beautiful 
rugs  are  the  right  surroundings  for  furniture 
[  103 1 


H  ome  Decoration 

of  this  character,  and  it  only  looks  out  of  place 
and  vulgar  when  put  in  modern,  inexpensive 
homes.  Inlay  and  marquetry  in  furniture 
call  for  mosaic  in  stone  and  tapestry  on  the 
wall,  and  unless  used  with  restraint  are  apt  to 
be  in  bad  taste. 

Our  illustrations  of  Rose-Valley  furniture 
show  intricate  and  exquisite  carving,  and 
much  of  it;  but  its  suitability  to  the  surround¬ 
ings  for  which  it  is  designed  shows  a  deep  ap¬ 
preciation  of  the  right  use  of  ornament.  Every 
detail  is  carefully  thought  out,  and  although 
it  is  elaborate,  a  feeling  of  restraint  is  notice¬ 
able,  as  none  of  it  is  superfluous.  The  quiet 
dignity  of  the  simple  lines  shows  how  large 
a  part  form  plays  in  the  making  of  good  fur¬ 
niture. 

It  all  comes  back  to  the  principles  of  fitness 
and  suitability  to  their  surroundings,  and  we 
have  to  consider  this  when  deciding  the  right 
use  of  ornament  on  furniture. 


[  104  ] 


ROSE-VALLEY  FURNITURE 


CHAPTER  XI 


Casement  Windows  and  Fireplaces 

So  much  has  been  written  about  the  health¬ 
giving  properties  of  sunlight  and  air  that  people 
are  at  last  beginning  to  realize  the  necessity  of 
open  windows.  Health  is  the  first  essential 
of  good  homemaking.  If  our  homes  are  to  be 
wholesome  and  cheerful,  we  must  make  ar¬ 
rangements  for  the  admittance  of  the  best  of 
nature’s  gifts, — light  and  air. 

We  must,  therefore,  not  have  curtains  so 
costly  that  we  dread  sun,  air,  or  dust;  neither 
must  we  have  windows  so  heavy  that  it  is  a 
labor  to  open  them.  The  solution  of  many 
difficulties  has  been  met  in  the  casement 
windows,  now  so  much  in  evidence  in  modern 
home-building.  Not  only  are  they  artistic, 
but  the  ease  with  which  they  respond  to  the 
slightest  touch  makes  them  of  practical  value. 

The  casement  should  open  inward  so  as 
to  allow  the  use  of  fly-screens  and  insure  easy 
washing.  There  are  many  ways  of  building 
[  I05  1 


Home  Decoration 

casement  windows,  such  as  the  recessed  bay- 
window,  useful  also  as  a  window-seat.  Some¬ 
times,  again,  the  seat  has  a  high  back  of  wain¬ 
scoting,  and  the  casements  appear  several  feet 
above.  At  this  height  they  let  in  light,  but 
give  no  outside  view.  Such  an  arrangement 
is  useful  when  a  sideboard  is  built  into  the 
recess  in  place  of  the  window-seat.  It  also 
gives  opportunity  for  the  use  of  leaded  glass. 

There  are  several  good  methods  of  curtain- 
in^  these  windows.  A  sash  curtain  can  be 
hung  on  a  rod  especially  made  for  casements. 

It  is  fastened  securely  at  one  end,  and  has 
a  rough  rubber  disk  at  the  other,  doing  away 
with  the  necessity  of  taking  down  the  curtain 
to  wash  the  window.  As  shades  cannot  be 
used,  it  is  desirable  to  have  a  pair  of  curtains 
wide  enough  to  cover  all  the  casements.  One 
long  rod  supported  in  the  middle  is  fastened 
to  the  casing,  and  can  be  used  in  conjunction 
with  sash  curtains  on  each  casement  window. 
Or,  better  still,  the  sash  curtains  can  be  dis¬ 
pensed  with  altogether.  When  this  is  done 
there  should  be  a  deep  valance  to  take  away 
the  glare  from  above  when  there  are  no 
shutters. 


[  106  ] 


Casements  and  Fireplaces 

There  are  so  many  delightful  curtain  mate¬ 
rials  sold  by  the  yard  now  that  a  tour  through 
the  shops  will  show  an  immense  choice.  Raw 
silk  and  China  silk,  challies,  linen  taffetas, 
Singapore  lattice,  bloom-linens,  serge,  and 
even  Turkey  red  can  all  be  used  when  plain 
materials  are  needed.  Among  figured  ma¬ 
terials  there  are  many  charming  varieties: 
cretonnes  with  their  creamy  grounds,  white 
glazed  chintzes  with  their  strong  designs  of 
old-fashioned  flowers,  linen  taffetas  with  stencil 
floral  effects,  Madras  in  soft  greens  with  old 
rose  or  yellow  flowers,  or  Madras  in  self-tones 
in  lovely  shades,  seem  to  grow  more  beautiful 
each  season.  Japanese  cottons  are  found  in 
blue  and  white,  Java  prints  in  strong,  con¬ 
trasting  colors,  and  also  in  yellow  and  white, 
red  and  white,  and  occasionally  in  green  and 
white. 

Among  the  Oriental  stuffs,  plain  colors  in 
deep  rich  shades  hold  their  color  in  a  way  that 
no  Western  manufacturer  can  imitate.  Some 
of  the  flowered  muslins  are  also  excellent  for 
casement  windows,  if  of  good  color  and  design. 

All  the  materials  mentioned  can  be  used 

for  inner  curtains,  yet  they  must  not  be  chosen 
[  107 1 


Home  Decoration 

haphazard.  Inner  curtains  must  become  part 
of  the  wall  line,  and  be  harmonious  in  color 
and  design  with  the  general  treatment  of  the 
room  in  which  they  are  used. 

For  sash  curtains  a  transparent  material 
is  needed.  The  most  suitable  are  fishnets, 
bobinets,  colonial  nets,  scrims,  cheesecloths, 
and  Madras,  which  are  made  in  soft  creamy 
shades,  more  beautiful  in  down-stairs  rooms 
than  dead  white.  Sometimes  white  is  best  in 
a  bedroom,  and  for  this  purpose  white  Swiss, 
plain  or  dotted,  comes  in  all  qualities.  Among 
other  suitable  materials  are  nets,  dimities, 
point  d’esprit,  and  nainsook,  any  of  which 
make  sheer  and  dainty  curtains.  The  new 
stencilled  curtains  are  especially  suited  for 
bobinets  and  scrims,  and  if  properly  done 
will  stand  sunlight  and  soap.  Sometimes  the 
design  runs  down  the  front  and  across  the 
bottom  of  each  curtain.  Others  are  made  with 
the  design  running  across  the  top  and  also 
just  above  the  hem  at  the  bottom.  One  with 
a  strong  design  of  grapes  and  leaves  with  a 
heavy  stem,  stencilled  on  cream  bobinet, 
looked  most  beautiful  in  a  dining-room,  with 
soft  green  burlap  on  the  walls. 

[  108  ] 


Casements  and  Fireplaces 

Some  of  the  deep  bay-windows,  with  six  or 
eight  casement  windows,  with  smaller  windows 
above,  are  usually  curtained  with  two  sets  of 
curtains  which  are  sewed  on  to  numerous  little 
rings  which  move  easily  on  the  rods.  The 
lower  curtains  are  drawn  back  in  the  day-time 
while  the  top  curtains  are  kept  drawn  to  give 
the  effect  of  a  valance.  These  must  have 
traverse  cords,  as  they  are  themselves  out  of 
reach.  This  treatment  gives  the  window  a 
very  quaint  and  attractive  appearance. 

If  a  room  is  dark  and  gloomy,  curtains  made 
of  soft  yellow  Madras  or  silk  will  give  an  effect 
of  sunlight.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  room 
has  a  southern  exposure,  greens  and  blues 
will  tend  to  soften  the  light.  Thus,  an  open 
casement  window  with  dainty  muslin  curtains 
and  a  pot  of  growing  flowers  on  the  window¬ 
sill  bespeaks  refinement  and  an  atmosphere  of 
cheerful  hospitality. 

The  Fireplace 

Nothing  improves  a  house  so  much  as  well- 
designed  fireplaces.  It  is  therefore  most  im¬ 
portant  that  we  give  a  good  deal  of  attention 
to  this  detail.  The  hearth  is  the  centre  of  the 

[  109  ] 


Home  Decoration 


home,  around  which  the  family  gathers  in  an 
evening,  and  the  kindling  logs  seem  to  cast 
a  spell  on  those  circled  around  its  glowing 
embers. 

An  open  fire  is  desirable  from  more  than  a 
social  point  of  view,  as  it  creates  a  draught,  and 
a  room  with  a  fireplace  is  always  much  better 
ventilated  than  one  without.  A  constant 
change  of  air  is  necessary  to  insure  perfect 
health,  and  an  open  fireplace  is  a  valuable 
asset  in  any  room.  As  a  rule,  the  occupants 
of  the  house  have  not  much  to  say  in  the  choice 
of  a  fireplace,  for  if  the  house  is  built  for  them 
the  fireplaces  are  naturally  designed  by  the 
architect  in  character  with  the  rest  of  the 
house,  and  if  the  house  is  rented  the  fireplaces 
are  already  there. 

Sometimes  these  are  so  bad  that  it  is  abso¬ 
lutely  necessary  for  something  to  be  done  to 
conceal  them.  A  shabby  black-marble  mantel¬ 
piece  can  be  transformed  by  pasting  muslin 
over  it  and  then  covering  it  with  several  coats 
of  paint.  In  a  room  with  white  trims  a  marble 
mantelpiece,  painted  white,  takes  on  an  en¬ 
tirely  different  garb,  and  is  unobtrusive  because 
it  matches  the  woodwork.  A  white  marble 

[  no  ] 


Casements  and  Fireplaces 

mantelpiece,  cold  and  unapproachable  in  its 
appearance,  can  be  treated  to  a  coat  of  acid, 
which  will  turn  it  to  a  greenish-yellow  shade, 
and  will  remove  the  high  polish  so  objection¬ 
able  in  out-of-date  mantels.  Of  course,  the  bad 
design  still  remains,  but  if  the  surface  is 
agreeable,  the  improvement  in  the  appearance 
of  the  renovated  mantel  is  remarkable.  The 
landlord  may  be  obdurate  and  may  have  to  be 
reasoned  with,  but  if  he  does  not  like  it  he 
can  be  reassured,  for  when  the  mantelpiece 
has  been  covered  with  muslin,  and  painted, 
the  material  can  be  removed  and  the  polish 
added  with  no  damage  to  the  original. 

In  a  room  with  rough-cast  walls  and  mission 
furniture  a  severe  style  of  fireplace  is  most 
appropriate.  Red  brick  is  an  excellent  choice 
when  heavily  pointed  with  black  or  ivory 
mortar.  The  mantel-shelf  should  be  of  heavy 
oak  supported  by  beautifully  carved  pilasters 
or  quaint  gargoyles.  Wrought-iron  andirons 
and  a  few  heavy  ornaments  on  the  mantelpiece 
would  be  in  perfect  accord  with  such  a  room. 

If  a  living-room  is  colonial,  the  fireplace 
must  be  in  keeping.  The  colonial  mirror 

should  fit  between  the  shelf  and  a  well-designed 
[ml 


Home  Decoration 


moulding.  The  mantel  should  be  made  of 
carefully  carved  wood  with  a  facing  of  dull- 
gray  marble.  The  candelabra  on  the  shelf 
must  be  in  keeping  with  the  room,  which 
should  be  furnished  in  mahogany  of  good 
colonial  design. 

Another  colonial  scheme  is  a  simple  fireplace 
of  Pompeiian  brick  built  almost  level  with  the 
wall.  The  purple  red  of  the  brick  blends  well 
with  many  papers  of  low  tone.  A  stronger 
note  must  be  accented  in  the  tiles  which  form 
the  hearth.  Such  a  fireplace  is  so  inexpensive 
to  build  that  any  one  could  have  it  instead  of 
a  badly  designed  one,  which  would  otherwise 
spoil  a  good  room. 

A  fireplace  built  on  somewhat  similar  lines 
with  Pompeiian  brick  facing  and  an  Arabian 
tiled  hearth  could  have  the  detail  beautifully 
carved  and  a  simple  panel  mirror  placed  above 
the  shelf. 

In  the  living-room  in  a  summer  cottage  an 
altogether  different  kind  of  fireplace  can  be 
built  of  rough  stone  found  in  the  neighborhood. 
This  should  be  surrounded  with  a  heavy  oak 
shelf  supported  by  corbels  of  stone  or  oak. 

Sometimes  an  inglenook  effect  can  be  made 

[  H2  ] 


Casements  and  Fireplaces 

by  running  a  beam  across  the  room  and  sup¬ 
porting  it  by  posts.  This  could  only  be  done 
in  a  room  of  craftsmanlike  appearance.  A 
generous  hearth  must  be  laid  for  this  treat¬ 
ment,  but  the  mantelpiece  can  be  simplicity 
itself:  red  brick  pointed  with  black,  an  iron- 
backed  fireplace,  and  andirons  of  the  same 
metal.  The  opening  at  the  top  can  be  hidden 
by  a  handmade  hood  of  repousse  brass.  The 
fireplace  jambs  and  shelf  can  be  straight 
beams.  Shelving  for  books  could  be  built  on 
either  side  of  the  fireplace,  and  a  high-back 
settle  could  be  run  to  the  same  height  as  the 
mantel-shelf.  An  end  like  a  grandfather’s 
chair,  some  seven  or  eight  feet  from  the  fire¬ 
place,  would  make  a  decorative  finish.  Of 
course,  it  would  not  be  necessary  for  the  book¬ 
cases  to  be  hidden  by  a  similar  wing. 

A  fireplace  across  a  corner  is  sometimes  very 
attractive,  except  when  it  is  near  a  door,  and 
this  absolutely  spoils  the  comfort  of  a  fireside 
when  the  opening  of  the  door  necessitates  a 
general  upheaval.  One  of  the  simplest  fire¬ 
places  built  in  a  corner  consists  of  three  Gothic 
panels  above  a  high  shelving.  Below  are  three 
shorter  panels  following  the  line  of  those  above. 

8  [  ii  3] 


Home  Decoration 

The  facings  of  the  fireplace  consist  of  Mercer 
tiles,  and  these  are  framed  on  either  side  by 
the  jamb  only  four  inches  wide.  The  entire 
mantel  is  set  in  one  large  panel.  It  takes  up 
very  little  room,  and  yet  is  very  effective. 

Sometimes  an  interesting  feature  is  intro¬ 
duced  by  having  the  fireplace  to  suit  certain 
decorative  subjects.  Some  time  ago  I  designed 
a  mantelpiece  for  a  living-room  which  was 
being  remodelled.  An  ugly  fireplace  was 
removed  from  the  corner,  and  a  new  mantel 
was  planned,  formed  of  heavy  oaken  beams, 
which  reached  up  to  the  ceiling.  Above  the 
shelf  was  a  large  plain  panel  in  the  centre  of 
which  a  stag’s  head  was  placed.  The  shelf 
was  supported  by  substantial  corbels.  Be¬ 
neath  these  was  a  plaster  cast  of  the  Aurora, 
stained  a  yellow  green.  This  was  inserted  in 
a  panel.  The  facing  of  the  fireplace  consisted 
of  dull,  rough  orange  tiles,  which  harmonized 
well  with  the  simple  mission  lines.  The  room 
was  furnished  with  craftsman’s  furniture,  and 
the  wood  was  stained  to  match.  The  intro¬ 
duction  of  the  stag’s  head  and  the  Aurora 
made  an  interesting  feature  in  the  room,  and 

yet  it  was  all  extremely  simple. 

[  114  3 


A  CORNER  FIREPLACE 


CHAPTER  XII 


What  to  Use  for  Portieres  and  Curtains 
in  the  Country  House 

In  many  country  homes  curtains  that  sug¬ 
gest  the  modern  trend  of  thought  would  be 
out  of  harmony  with  their  surroundings.  If 
a  parlor  is  furnished  in  Empire  style,  what 
could  be  more  incongruous  than  hangings  of 
coarse  canvas,  ornamented  with  art-nouveau 
designs  ?  The  curtains  must  be  in  harmony 
in  tone  and  design  with  the  Empire  period, 
and  would  need  to  be  made  of  rich-looking 
materials,  overtopped  with  the  fitted  valance 
ornamented  with  Empire  designs. 

Georgian  and  French  styles  must  be  treated 
with  the  same  restraint,  if  the  rooms  are  to  be 
faithfully  carried  out  in  any  one  period,  and 
the  curtains  must  conform  to  the  general  style 
of  the  room. 

In  going  into  houses  of  well-to-do  people,  it 
is  surprising  to  find  that  draperies  that  have 
been  made  by  reliable  firms  have  lost  their 
[ns! 


Home  Decoration 

shape  and  sag.  This  should  not  happen,  and 
would  not  if  sufficient  care  had  been  taken 
when  the  curtains  were  made.  When  they  are 
laid  out  on  the  cutting  table  the  interlining 
must  be  sewed  or  basted  to  the  material,  so 
that  when  in  place  the  curtains  keep  their 
shape.  Sometimes  the  bastings  are  caught 
only  here  and  there,  and  after  a  while  they 
give  way:  the  result  is  a  sagging,  lumpy- 
looking  curtain.  If  the  curtains  had  been 
made  properly  in  the  beginning  this  trouble 
would  have  been  avoided. 

The  draperies  of  a  room  should  always  har¬ 
monize  with  the  walls,  but  should  be  stronger 
and  richer  in  tone.  Hanging  in  soft,  straight 
folds,  they  soften  the  hard  lines  and  add  much 
to  the  beauty  and  dignity  of  a  well-planned 
room.  In  providing  portieres  for  a  double 
door,  the  portiere  can  be  made  by  lining  or 
sewing  two  separate  materials  so  as  to  form 
one  curtain.  The  curtain  itself  will  look  well, 
but  either  one  side  or  the  other  of  the  opening 
will  show  a  blank  space  of  woodwork;  also 
when  the  sliding  doors  are  closed,  one  room 
will  be  without  its  portieres.  The  most  usual 
way  is  to  make  the  portieres  to  suit  each  room, 

[116] 


Portieres  and  Curtains 

the  lining  of  one  matching  the  front  of  the 
opposite  portiere.  It  is  best  to  use  sateen  as 
a  lining,  as  this  is  made  in  a  wide  range  of 
colors.  Wherever  possible,  the  lining  should 
match  the  curtain,  but  if  the  heavy  curtains 
at  a  window  are  hung  wide  enough  to  come 
in  front  of  the  cream  or  white  curtain,  and 
will  be  seen  through  the  sheer  curtains  from 
the  outside,  then  they  must  be  lined  with 
cream.  To  my  mind  curtains  lined  with  the 
same  shade  are  much  more  attractive  than 
those  lined  with  white  or  cream,  but  they 
should  not  be  more  than  twenty-four  inches 
wide  when  pleated  up,  and  not  be  brought 
forward  to  go  in  front  of  the  window.  An 
abomination  constantly  seen  is  a  pair  of  heavy 
curtains  meeting  in  the  middle  of  a  window 
and  then  held  tightly  back  by  a  cord  or  band. 
They  give  a  feeling  of  uneasiness  to  those  who 
appreciate  the  fitness  of  things,  and  are  in 
themselves  a  contradiction.  Why  hang  them 
forward  if  you  want  them  back?  The  same 
fault  may  often  be  seen  in  sash  curtains.  They 
are  hung  on  a  rod  at  the  top  and  bottom  of  a 
window,  and  then  a  foolish  white  band  or 

cord  holds  them  back  in  the  middle. 

1 117 1 


Home  Decoration 


In  selecting  materials  for  curtains  suitable 
for  rooms  furnished  in  period  styles,  there  are 
many  beautiful  patterns  to  choose  from,  and 
at  prices  to  suit  nearly  every  one — linen,  ve¬ 
lours,  upholsterers’  velvets,  Liberty  velvets, 
silk-crinkled  tapestries,  brocades,  corded  silks, 
goat’s  hair,  Armures,  and  figured  tapestries, 
all  of  which  make  suitable  hangings  for  various 
rooms.  From  time  to  time  attractive  materi¬ 
als,  representing  weaving  or  cross  stitch,  are 
brought  out  and  charm  the  eye  with  their 
color  and  texture.  A  material  with  a  design 
of  trees  and  birds  looking  as  if  they  had  come 
out  of  the  ark  comes  in  useful  for  a  piano-back 
or  book-case  curtain.  It  comes  with  a  tan 
ground,  and  the  design  is  in  one  color.  It  is 
charming  in  the  blue  green  on  a  tan  ground, 
and  also  in  copper,  while  the  red  and  tan  seem 
equally  suitable  for  some  quaint  hanging. 

Successful  experiments  have  recently  been 
made  in  evolving  new  and  interesting  ideas 
for  hangings  for  doors  and  windows. 

We  are  all  familiar  with  the  lined  and  inter¬ 
lined  velours  and  tapestry  draperies  that  are 
always  to  the  fore  in  most  handsomely  fur¬ 
nished  houses.  They  have  their  place  in 

I  xiS] 


Portieres  and  Curtains 

classical  work,  and  for  the  purpose  of  excluding 
draughts,  but  they  are  not  the  kind  that  appeal 
to  craftsmen  of  to-day.  It  is  remarkable  how 
little  is  known  of  what  is  being  done  all  around 
us  in  the  development  of  original  and  artistic 
curtains,  not  only  by  artistic  individuals,  but 
by  communities  of  craftworkers  throughout 
the  country.  The  results  are  obtained,  not 
by  buying  costly  silk  and  satin  draperies,  but 
often  by  the  use  of  the  simplest  textures,  in 
which  color  or  applied  design  play  the  im¬ 
portant  part. 

Arras  cloth,  or  craftsman’s  canvas,  has  been 
a  joy  to  the  privileged  few  who  happened  to 
know  where  and  how  it  could  be  obtained. 
Happily  it  can  now  be  bought  at  one  or  more 
shops  in  every  city.  It  is  very  like  every-day 
burlap  in  weave,  and  is  made  of  a  mixture  of 
linen  and  cotton.  It  possesses  a  slight  varia¬ 
tion  in  texture  that  is  very  desirable  in  dra¬ 
peries.  It  is  made  in  Scotland  in  a  wide  range 
of  colors  which  fade  so  little  with  years  of 
wear  that  the  effect  is  only  a  softening  of  tone. 
It  is  now  obtainable  in  linen  color  as  well  as 
the  art  shades.  People  who  have  always  ap¬ 
preciated  linens  enjoy  those  with  a  coarse 
[  119 1 


Home  Decoration 


mesh  called  “bloom  linens/’  They  are  an 
inspiration  for  making  applique  upon  Arras 
cloth  or  other  shades  of  linen. 

Coarse  Russian  linen  sold  for  kitchen  towels 
is  another  material  constantly  overlooked.  Its 
decorative  possibilities  are  endless;  the  gray 
in  which  it  is  made  is  a  suitable  color  for  using 
in  bedrooms  when  a  quiet  groundwork  is 
needed  for  applique  or  stencil  treatment,  or 
darning.  This  material  is  only  fifteen  inches 
wide,  but  the  joining  of  the  widths  lends  itself 
to  decorative  needlework,  and  a  hinged  effect 
in  stitching  gives  it  much  individuality. 

Raw  Shikki  silk  from  China  is  wonderfully 
attractive  for  window  curtains,  especially  in 
the  natural  color,  which  does  not  change  with 
contact  with  the  rays  of  the  sun.  Stencilled 
with  dyes,  it  makes  quaint  sash  curtains;  the 
design  showing  through  the  curtain  looks  well 
from  both  sides  of  the  window.  Shikki  can  be 
used  in  dark  colors  for  sash  curtains  when  a 
sheer  curtain  is  used  next  to  the  glass.  This 
slight  protection  seems  to  be  all  that  is  required 
to  insure  the  color  remaining.  Another  silk 
that  is  remarkable  for  the  way  it  holds  its 

color  is  Tudor  silk,  which  is  fifty  inches  wide. 

[  120  ] 


Portieres  and  Curtains 

Liberty  or  Corean  silk,  thirty-six  inches  wide, 
can  be  substituted  when  the  Tudor  is  not 
available. 

For  an  unlined  curtain  requiring  little 
weight,  the  Helena  tapestries  from  Scotland, 
designed  by  Voisey,  are  some  of  the  most 
beautiful  fabrics  imaginable.  They  are  made 
of  mercerized  cotton.  The  weft  and  woof  are 
never  the  same  color,  so  that  the  effect  is 
iridescent.  The  designs  are  excellent.  They 
are  also  made  up  in  the  seventy-inch  Madras. 
The  latter  are  found  at  most  of  the  best  stores, 
but  the  Helena  tapestry  has  to  be  looked  for, 
as  so  choice  a  material  is  often  confined  to  one 
or  two  stores  in  each  city.  Some  folks  have 
never  even  seen  this  material,  but  those  who 
are  familiar  with  it  never  waver  in  their  appre¬ 
ciation  of  it.  In  a  room  with  self-toned  walls 
and  window  curtains,  Helena-tapestry  por¬ 
tieres  with  a  voyant  design  of  a  flower  motif 
make  beautiful  hangings  and  an  unusual  note 
of  decoration. 

Arts  and  crafts  societies  have  for  sale  many 
kinds  of  woven  fabrics;  the  Acadian  weaving 
industries,  having  been  revived  and  fostered 

of  late  years,  are  now  making  the  old  Evan- 
[  121  ] 


Home  Decoration 


geline  portieres;  while  from  the  mountain 
regions  of  the  South  the  old  blue  and  white 
coverlets,  so  dear  to  our  grandmothers,  are 
made  into  portieres  and  curtains  which  are 
more  suitable  for  blue  and  white  colonial  rooms 
than  almost  anything  else. 

For  light  hangings,  what  beautiful  prints 
can  be  found  among  the  East-Indian  cottons, 
not  only  in  pale  yellows  and  greens,  but  in 
deep  warm  shades!  Javanese  draperies  with 
their  stencilled  Batik  work,  done  by  hand  by 
the  women  and  children  of  Java,  can  be  used 
in  nearly  any  room. 

Craftworkers  are  beginning  to  do  a  modern 
form  of  Batik,  which  consists  in  dyeing  a  piece 
of  cloth  which  has  had  the  parts  where  the 
design  appears  protected  by  a  process,  so  that 
the  groundwork  takes  the  dye  but  not  the 
pattern.  This  industry  is  only  in  its  infancy 
in  America,  but  it  is  an  interesting  field  open 
for  immense  developments. 

A  description  of  a  few  portieres  and  curtains 
that  have  lately  been  made  will  not  be  out  of 
place. 

A  portiere  of  Arras  cloth  with  an  applied 

design  in  linens  made  an  effective  drapery  in 
[  122  ] 


ARTISTIC  PORTIERES  FOR  A  COUNTRY  HOUSE 


Portieres  and  Curtains 

a  living-room;  the  groundwork  was  wood- 
brown,  a  pine-cone  motif  was  carried  out  in 
rich  dark  greens  and  tans,  the  cones  being  in 
green  with  dark  outlines,  while  the  needles 
and  deep  border  band  were  in  tan. 

Another  portiere,  made  of  deep  olive  green 
Arras  cloth,  had  an  effective  design  of  con¬ 
ventionalized  nasturtiums.  The  leaves  and 
flowers  were  in  old  gold  linen  with  a  band  of 
soft  tan.  Another  band  of  green  forming  a 
base  for  the  slender  stem  lines  was  held  in 
place  by  stitchery  in  heavy  green  floss.  Yellow 
floss  was  used  for  the  flower  centres  and  stems. 
This  portiere  with  olive  green  walls  and  light 
brown  mission  furniture,  with  tan  leather 
seats,  gave  just  the  decorative  note  needed  in 
a  craftsman’s  library. 

Applique  can  be  very  decorative  when  done 
by  artistic  people;  but  such  dreadful  draperies 
have  been  sold  that  it  is  necessary  to  be  very 
cautious  in  buying,  carefully  considering  the 
individual  merit  of  each  piece. 

A  curtain  of  russet  tones  was  ornamented 
with  an  apple  and  disk  frieze  treatment  in 
reds  and  tans,  and  was  extremely  decorative 
and  unusual.  It  was  made  of  changeable 

[  123  ] 


Home  Decoration 


linens,  the  design  being  outlined  with  embroi¬ 
dery  silk  in  art  stitch.  A  great  deal  of  hand 
work  was  put  on  these  curtains,  but  much  the 
same  effect  could  be  attained  by  couching  the 
outline  in  heavy  flax.  The  same  design  was 
used  for  linen  sash  curtains  in  a  summer  cot¬ 
tage,  and  the  general  effect  was  excellent.  The 
work  was  taken  up  at  odd  moments,  and  was 
a  pleasant  recreation.  If  preferred,  the  same 
design  could  Jbe  stencilled  instead  of  applied, 
and  then  outlined  with  coarse  stitching.  In  a 
summer  house  this  is  often  advisable,  when 
the  time  cannot  be  spared  for  much  needle¬ 
work. 

A  design  in  pomegranates  was  made  up  in 
three  shades  of  gobelin  blue  linens  on  Arras 
cloth  and  was  outlined  with  flax  worked 
in  art  stitch.  These  hangings  were  very 
effective  in  a  living-room  of  blue  and  ma¬ 
hogany. 

Another  successful  portiere  consisted  of  a 
large  tree  motif,  made  up  in  blue  and  green 
linen  on  a  tan  linen  ground.  It  was  outlined  in 
coarse  embroidery  stitch.  Such  a  design,  how¬ 
ever,  would  look  well  only  if  suited  to  its  sur¬ 
roundings  in  a  room  furnished  in  art  nouveau. 

[  124  3 


Portieres  and  Curtains 

Many  specimens  of  modern  weaving  have 
been  exhibited  in  New  York  from  time  to  time. 
Besides  the  ordinary  woven  curtains,  with 
which  we  are  all  familiar,  there  were  some 
gobelin  draperies,  woven  by  Norwegians  in 
beautiful  colorings.  One  of  swans  on  a  geo¬ 
metrical  background  was  an  exquisite  piece  of 
work  in  soft  grays  and  yellows.  Another  design 
in  a  flower  motif  was  transparent,  and  was  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  pieces  of  weaving  possible 
to  be  imagined.  When  such  products  of  the 
hand-loom  can  be  made  for  our  use,  it  seems 
strange  that  in  the  homes  of  millionaires  they 
are  rarely  found;  but  costly,  commonplace 
hangings  are  often  seen,  which  should  not  be 
tolerated. 

Expensive  lace  curtains  in  large  designs 
always  seem  to  be  out  of  harmony  in  a  small 
country  house.  Slight  gauzy  effects  at  the 
windows  to  soften  the  light,  and  yet  which  are 
sufficiently  transparent  not  to  exclude  the 
view,  seem  more  appropriate.  They  can  be 
bought  with  simple  Renaissance  edging  or  an 
insertion  of  torchon  lace,  in  soft  creamy  tones, 
and  seem  suitable  for  all  occasions.  For 
libraries  and  halls,  the  Arabian  color  is  often 

[  125  ] 


Home  Decoration 


preferred.  Bobinet  also  makes  a  pleasing 
curtain.  The  large  open  mesh  does  not  keep 
out  the  light. 

For  a  colonial  green  and  white  house,  where 
only  white  can  be  successfully  used,  Swiss 
in  plain  or  striped  effects  are  always  in  good 
taste  if  well  made.  The  curtains  should  have 
ruffles,  and,  with  care,  they  will  last  for  years. 
Flowered  Madras  curtains  are  found  in  all 
shades  and  are  most  useful,  especially  as  inner 
hangings.  They  are  made  in  such  beautiful 
colors,  and  are  so  serviceable,  that  we  should 
do  badly  without  them.  They  fall  in  such  soft 
folds  when  used  as  an  inside  drapery,  while 
the  effect  of  one  entirely  covering  a  large  hall 
window  is  translucent  and  suggestive  of  soft- 
toned  stained-glass  windows. 

Stencil  curtains  for  any  room  or  scheme 
have  endless  possibilities  tor  the  artist.  A 
good  dye  is  the  best  pigment,  and  when  the 
color  has  been  set,  will  stand  frequent  wash¬ 
ings  and  sunlight. 

It  should  be  the  aim  of  every  one  who  has 
an  appreciation  of  the  beautiful  to  endeavor 
to  get  away  from  the  commonplace.  It  is  not 
practical  or  possible  for  many  to  make  their 

[  126] 


PORTIERE— STENCIL  WORK 


Portieres  and  Curtains 

own  furniture  or  weave  their  rugs,  but  it  is 
possible  for  every  home  to  express  the  individ¬ 
uality  of  the  owner  in  the  choice  of  beautiful 
and  original  hangings. 


[  127  ] 


CHAPTER  XIII 

Shelving,  Pictures,  and  Bric-a-brac 

In  new  houses  the  rooms  are  so  much 
smaller  than  those  built  several  years  ago  that 
we  are  often  confronted  with  the  problem  of 
placing  our  furniture  without  the  appearance 
of  overcrowding.  The  placing  of  books  is 
always  a  difficult  matter.  Books  we  must  have, 
and  they  should  be  easy  of  access.  As  we 
cannot  always  have  floor  space  for  book-cases, 
a  very  practical  solution  of  the  difficulty  is 
to  have  wall  spaces  filled  with  shelves.  Two 
shelves  placed  in  some  long  space  is  a  clever 
contrivance  and  one  that  gives  a  most  artistic 
appearance  to  the  room.  Above  a  sofa  or 
settee  in  the  corner  of  a  room,  two  shelves 
may  be  put,  the  whole  length  of  the  sofa,  and, 
if  possible,  let  them  terminate  at  the  trim  of 
a  window.  Shelves  eight  or  nine  feet  long 
when  placed  at  the  right  height  are  pleasing, 
especially  when  they  turn  a  corner  and  extend 
at  right  angles.  The  top  shelf  must  not  be 

[128] 


Shelving,  Pictures,  and  Bric-a-Brac 

too  high  for  the  books  to  be  reached  when 
standing  on  the  floor,  and  two  groups  of  long 
shelves  in  different  parts  of  the  room  will 
accommodate  the  library  of  the  average  home 
and  yet  not  take  up  any  floor  space. 

This  shelving  can  easily  be  made  by  a  mem¬ 
ber  of  the  family.  A  sketch  can  be  made  of 
the  supports  for  the  lower  shelves,  which  can 
be  turned  at  a  saw-mill  for  a  trifle,  but  it  is 
best  to  use  the  flat-angle  irons  for  the  upper 
shelf,  as  they  take  up  no  room,  and  the  books 
will  hide  the  iron  brackets.  The  wooden 
brackets  for  the  lower  shelf  give  a  decorative 
finish  which  those  of  iron  do  not. 

Another  way  of  making  use  of  shelving  is  to 
place  three  shelves  across  the  corner  in  the 
dining-room.  When  painted  to  match  the 
woodwork,  they  give  a  distinctly  pleasing  effect 
to  the  room  and  afford  opportunity  for  a  dis¬ 
play  of  decorative  cups  and  saucers.  The 
bottom  shelf  should  be  about  five  feet  from 
the  ground.  This  also  takes  up  no  floor  space, 
all  of  which  is  needed  for  the  chairs  and  side¬ 
board  in  a  small  dining-room,  especially  when 
there  are  two  or  more  windows  which  break 
up  the  room. 

9 


[  129] 


Home  Decoration 

Another  use  for  shelving  when  we  do  not 
want  to  go  to  the  expense  of  a  sideboard  is  to 
make  use  of  a  serving  table,  and  above  this 
build  shelves,  which  must  be  stained  to  match. 
Cups  hanging  by  the  handles  on  screw  eyes 
at  the  edge  of  the  shelf,  and  a  row  of  plates 
on  each  shelf,  make  an  artistic  arrangement 
at  a  purely  nominal  cost.  This  simple  form 
of  carpentry  work  is  within  the  scope  of 
the  growing  boy,  and  making  such  things 
will  make  him  appreciate  his  home  more 
fully. 

Many  houses  show  signs  of  excellent  taste 
in  regard  to  color  schemes  and  furniture,  and 
fail  miserably  when  it  comes  to  pictures  and 
their  frames.  The  reason  is  partly  that,  unless 
great  expense  is  gone  to,  it  is  not  easy  to  find 
good  pictures  suitably  framed.  Many  good 
pictures  can  be  found,  but  it  is  another  matter 
to  frame  them  suitably.  The  frame  must  not 
only  suit  the  picture,  but,  what  is  more  im¬ 
portant,  it  must  suit  the  place  where  it  is  to 
be  hung. 

Hall  pictures  should  be  strong  in  tone, 
having  large  masses  of  lights  and  shadows,  so 
that  a  person  walking  through  a  hall  can  see 
[130] 


Shelving,  Pictures,  and  Bric-h-Brac 

at  a  glance  the  meaning  of  the  picture.  Sculp¬ 
ture  or  architecture  are  suitable  subjects.  The 
Parthenon,  the  front  of  Amiens  Cathedral, 
Antwerp  Cathedral,  Bruges  Cathedral,  are  all 
good  subjects  A  Roman  gateway  in  Orange, 
France,  and  Pont-du-gard,  a  Roman  aqueduct, 
are  all  favorites  of  mine.  These  should  be 
framed  in  broad,  flat  frames  of  gray  or  brown 
that  tone  with  the  print  or  photograph. 

In  a  sitting-room,  reproductions  of  famous 
paintings,  Braun  photographs,  platinotypes, 
photogravures,  and  plaster  casts  are  always 
decorative.  The  Singing  Boys,  framed  in  sec¬ 
tions  in  a  broad  wide  frame,  makes  a  beautiful 
subject  above  a  mantelpiece.  It  is  a  part  of  a 
frieze  executed  in  the  fifteenth  century  by  Luca 
della  Robbia  for  the  cathedral  in  Florence. 
Another  cast  which  is  extremely  decorative  is 
called  the  Aurora.  This  is  also  improved  by 
being  framed.  Casts  can  be  bought  in  the 
white  for  very  little.  The  tinting  of  them  is 
not  difficult,  and  is  interesting  to  do.  They 
require  a  coat  of  white  shellac.  When  this 
is  dry,  a  mixture  of  burnt  umber  and  turpentine 
is  painted  over  the  cast,  and  when  this  is  partly 
dry  a  cloth  dipped  in  turpentine  and  rubbed 

[  I3I  1 


Home  Decoration 

from  right  to  left  over  the  surface  removes  the 
color  and  gives  it  the  appearance  of  old  ivory. 

A  vendor  of  casts  will  always  tint  them  if 
requested. 

Few  pictures  are  necessary  in  bedrooms; 
prints  and  photographs  in  narrow  black  frames 
are  suitable  when  the  pattern  of  the  wall  pa¬ 
per  is  not  too  pronounced.  Carbon  prints  in 
brown  or  blue  and  platinotypes  and  etchings 
can  all  be  used  in  a  bedroom.  The  use  of  a 
passe-partout  tape  is  an  inexpensive  method 
for  framing  pictures,  and  as  the  binding  can 
be  bought  in  black,  green,  white,  red,  and  gray, 
a  note  of  color  can  be  introduced  on  the  wall 

which  may  be  of  value. 

A  lover  of  old  masters  will  enjoy  the  repro¬ 
ductions  of  portraits  from  Reynolds,  Van  Dyck, 
Holbein,  and  Rembrandt,  and  many  appre¬ 
ciate  the  half-tone  engravings  from  the  works 
of  modern  painters— Burne-Jones,  Millet, 
Rossetti,  and  Corot.  Sargent’s  picture  of  The 
Prophets  is  particularly  well  suited  to  a  library, 
and  Burne-Jones’s  Golden  Stairs  is  invaluable, 
not  only  on  account  of  the  subject  but  on 
account  of  its  shape,  as  a  tall  narrow  picture 
frequently  creates  a  delightful  bit  of  decora- 

[  I32  1 


Shelving,  Pictures,  and  Bric-a-Brac 

tion  in  a  long,  narrow  space  which  needs 
accenting. 

Magazines  from  time  to  time  have  repro¬ 
ductions  of  celebrated  illustrators.  When 
these  are  collected  and  framed  together  they 
add  a  bright  touch  of  color  and  good  drawing. 
McClure’s  published  five  colored  pictures  by 
Jessie  Wilcox  Smith  of  the  five  senses,  and 
when  these  are  framed  in  sections  it  makes  a 
really  beautiful  group.  Harper  s  colored  pic¬ 
tures  by  Howard  Pyle,  and  the  reproductions 
of  the  Shakespearian  paintings  by  Edwin 
Austin  Abbey  are  all  worthy  to  be  saved  and 
suitably  framed.  The  International  Studio 
brings  out  from  time  to  time  the  most  beautiful 
colored  pictures,  each  of  which  is  a  work  of  art. 
By  looking  out  for  these  special  things  a  much 
more  individual  collection  of  pictures  can  be 
obtained  than  by  keeping  entirely  to  a  groove 
and  being  content  to  buy  the  commonplace. 

Japanese  prints  are  invaluable  when  framed 
with  narrow,  black,  round  frames,  and  add  a 
touch  of  color  to  a  neutral  wall,  often  lighting 
up  a  dark  corner  in  the  most  interesting  man¬ 
ner.  Small  pictures  are  best  hung  in  groups, 
and  those  of  a  kind  should  be  placed  together. 

1 133  ] 


Home  Decoration 

These  groups  must  be  carefully  distributed  at 
intervals  rather  than  placed  too  near  together. 
The  parts  of  the  wall  where  the  strongest  light 
falls  should  have  pictures  in  the  lowest  key, 
while  the  dark  spots  can  be  brought  into  relief 
by  colored  pictures  in  bright  tones.  Large 
pictures  do  not  look  so  well  in  small  rooms,  as 
they  need  distance  to  give  the  right  perspective. 

A  great  deal  of  care  is  necessary  in  the 
method  of  hanging  pictures.  Wire  cord 
gilded  or  silvered~~-is  usually  made  use  of,  and 
may  either  be  carried  to  the  picture  moulding 
and  hung  at  an  acute  angle,  or  two  separate 
wires  may  be  run  perpendicularly  and  fastened 
to  two  separate  hooks.  This  method  is  nec¬ 
essary  for  large  pictures,  but  whenever  it  is 
possible,  do  without  these  cords.  They  are 
ugly,  and  it  is  far  better  to  mark  the  wall  by 
nails  and  have  no  visible  cords  than  to  have 
too  many  wires  visible.  A  very  practical  idea 
is  to  use  the  fasteners  which  can  be  secured 
by  three  slender  nails,  scarcely  heavier  than 
pins.  Three  of  these  nails  hammered  into 
the  wall  to  each  picture  make  hardly  any  per¬ 
ceptible  mark  on  the  paper,  and  yet  do 
away  with  the  necessity  for  a  long  wire.  Such 
[  134 1 


Shelving,  Pictures,  and  Bric-a-Brac 

fasteners  are  strong  enough  to  hold  medium¬ 
sized  pictures. 

I  need  hardly  say  that  in  these  days  pictures 
must  be  hung  flat,  or  almost  flat,  against  the 
wall.  In  order  to  make  them  hang  in  this 
way,  have  the  rings  near  the  top  of  the  picture. 

A  good  rule  for  the  placing  of  pictures  is  to 
bring  the  centre  on  a  level  with  the  eye. 

If  these  truths  are  remembered  when  the 
choice  of  pictures  is  made,  the  house  will 
assume  an  artistic  appearance,  even  though 
the  furniture  is  not  of  the  best. 

There  are  many  pitfalls  for  the  unwary 
when  choosing  bric-a-brac.  That  should  be 
the  last  addition  to  the  house,  and  each  piece 
should  be  thoughtfully  bought  for  a  certain 
spot.  They  must  be  chosen  for  their  color 
value,  use,  or  fitness.  This  fundamental  prin¬ 
ciple  should  be  remembered  when  purchasing 
them.  The  majority  should  be  useful  as  well 
as  ornamental.  Jardinieres  are  not  only  val¬ 
uable  for  hiding  flower-pots,  but,  when  of  the 
right  kind,  form  a  beautiful  bit  of  decoration 
in  themselves.  Hammered  copper  adds  a 
gleam  of  color  that  is  distinctly  valuable  in 

sunless  rooms.  Holders  for  flowers  can  be 

1 135 1 


Home  Decoration 


bought  in  beautiful  modern  pottery — Grueby, 
Rookwood,  Teco,  Volkmar,  or  Newcomb — 
and  as  these  modern  American  potteries  can 
be  obtained  in  practically  any  coloring,  they 
must  be  chosen  to  accent  some  particular  color 
which  is  needed. 

Crude  foreign  potteries,  such  as  Spanish  and 
Bruges,  add  a  sturdy  touch  of  decoration  in 
their  barbaric  lines  and  color,  and  they  are 
invaluable  for  certain  places. 

Pretty  bowls  in  which  roses  may  be  placed 
are  in  themselves  a  thing  of  beauty  when  the 
flowers  are  removed;  and  often  such  simple 
things  as  ginger  jars  in  blue  or  green  fill  a 
want  in  color  or  form. 

It  is  important  to  remember  where  to  go  for 
these  potteries.  Arts  and  crafts  salesrooms 
are  a  rich  source  of  supply  not  only  for  the 
American  potteries  mentioned,  but  for  candela¬ 
bra,  bowls,  and  trays  in  copper  or  brass.  Some 
garden  pottery  can  be  used  for  large  jardinieres 
in  a  hall  or  for  the  floor  in  certain  rooms. 
Those  with  the  dull-glazed  surface  are  more 
appropriate  for  indoors  than  the  rough  clays. 

When  choosing  pottery,  we  must  not  over¬ 
look  the  Van  Briggle,  Robinneau,  Poillon,  and 

[  *36  1 


Shelving,  Pictures,  and  Bric-a-Brac 

the  latest  products  from  the  handicraft  shops 
at  Marblehead,  Mass.  It  is  interesting  to 
note  that  most  of  these  potteries  are  made  by 
women.  One  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the 
decorated  potteries  is  that  from  the  Newcomb 
College,  New  Orleans,  made  by  the  women 
students.  It  is  noted  for  its  originality  of  de¬ 
sign  and  harmonious  blending  of  colors.  The 
designs  are  carried  out  usually  in  pale  blues 
and  greens,  and  the  flower  motifs  are  taken 
from  certain  flowers  of  local  origin. 

We  can  hardly  call  waste-paper  baskets 
bric-a-brac,  but  they  can  be  ornamental  or 
very  much  the  reverse,  according  to  their 
characteristics.  Indian  baskets  are  always  in 
good  taste  and  last  a  lifetime.  Japanese  chip 
baskets  in  deep,  rich  colorings  always  look 
well;  but  avoid  the  unstained  willow  sold  in 
such  quantities.  Beautiful  Oriental  baskets 
can  be  picked  up  at  Eastern  rug  shops  or 
Japanese  marts.  There  are  many  beautiful 
kinds  of  waste  baskets  to  be  found  at  arts  and 
crafts  salesrooms,  and  too  much  care  cannot 
be  taken  in  the  choice  of  these. 


1 137 1 


CHAPTER  XIV 

Lamps  and  Candle  Shades 

One  of  the  most  perplexing  problems  when 
completing  the  furnishing  of  a  house  is  that  of 
deciding  what  kind  of  lamps  to  buy.  Within  the 
last  few  years  there  has  been  such  an  improve¬ 
ment  in  lamps  and  candelabra  that  the  choice 
is  much  more  difficult  than  heretofore,  when 
artistic  ones  could  be  found  only  after  a  diligent 
search.  Ten  years  ago  it  was  the  exception  to 
come  across  a  really  pretty  lamp,  but  to-day 
the  choice  of  good  ones  is  bewildering,  be¬ 
cause  so  many  attracti  ve  novelties  are  displayed. 

Our  illustrations  show  some  lamps  selected 
at  different  stores. 

We  are  all  familiar  with  the  beautiful 
Tiffany  lamps,  but  few  realize  what  charming 
little  lamps  they  make  for  reading  or  desk  use. 

Some  are  made  of  dull  green  metal  with 
heavy,  rough  cut-glass  panels  in  green.  These 
can  be  used  only  for  electric  lighting.  Others 
have  a  heavily  weighted  ball  which  allows 
[138} 


tiffany  lamps  of  greened  bronze 


Lamps  and  Candle  Shades 

for  adjustment  at  any  angle.  The  green 
iridescent  shade  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
of  the  Tiffany  products,  although  it  is  not 
always  easy  to  discover  these  shades  as  the 
supply  is  limited. 

One  of  the  bronze  lamps  is  for  oil.  For 
so  small  a  lamp  it  gives  a  wonderfully  bright 
light  and  is  so  well  proportioned  that  it  could 
not  be  overturned  easily.  The  bronze  is 
treated  with  an  acid  which  makes  it  a  beauti¬ 
ful  tone  of  green. 

An  Etruscan  vase  can  be  used  for  a  base  to 
advantage.  A  fount  of  brass  can  be  fitted  to  it. 
A  vase  made  of  rough  cream  clay  while  very 
decorative,  is  not  expensive.  The  shade  se¬ 
lected  to  go  with  it  should  be  one  of  the  new 
cut  brass  ones  so  popular  at  the  arts  and 
crafts  exhibitions.  Sheets  of  brass  with  the 
design  carved  out  with  a  jeweller’s  saw  make 
an  effective  and  easily  made  shade,  if  the 
homemaker  is  interested  in  doing  metal  work. 
These  shades  are  usually  lined  with  silk.  A 
yellow  silk  diffuses  the  light  and  is  suitable  for 
general  lighting,  while  green  reflects  it  and  is 
used  for  reading  lamps. 

An  innovation  in  shades  is  the  making  use 
[  139 1 


Home  Decoration 


of  Japanese  baskets,  and  the  brown  wicker- 
ware  harmonizes  particularly  well  with  dark 
brown  oak  of  the  mission  lamp,  while  the  silk 
lining  can  be  selected  to  go  with  the  color  of 
the  walls  and  furniture  covers. 

There  is  something  very  charming  about 
candle  light,  especially  for  the  dining-table, 
and  a  great  many  kinds  can  be  seen  every 
season  among  the  new  shades.  These  always 
seem  expensive  for  such  perishable  articles, 
and  it  should  be  an  opportunity  for  deft  fingers 
to  make  them  at  home.  A  large  lamp-shade 
is  quite  expensive,  and  yet  if  made  by  home 
talent  would  practically  cost  one-third  of  the 
price.  It  is  really  surprising  how  easy  it  is 
to  make  a  lamp-shade  if  only  a  good  model 
has  been  seen  first.  French  lamp  shades  are 
made  over  a  good  quality  of  cream  silk.  The 
medallions  with  which  they  are  embellished 
are  printed  on  the  silk,  and  can  be  bought  at 
a  lamp  store.  They  are  outlined  with  fine 
gold  lace,  finished  off  with  a  silk  flower  and 
fringe  trimming.  Sometimes  they  are  made 
in  pink  and  green,  and  the  same  colors  are 
carried  out  in  the  silk  fringe  at  the  top  and 

bottom  of  the  lamp-shade.  The  alternate 

[  140  ] 


BEATEN  COPPER  LAMP  AND 
CUT  BRASS  SHADE 


TIFFANY  READING  LAMPS 


Lamps  and  Candle  Shades 

panels  have  a  tassel  decoration  which  is  some¬ 
what  of  a  novelty.  Gold  lace  is  also  in¬ 
troduced  between  the  silk-tassel  fringe  and 
bead  fringe.  Such  a  shade  could  not  be 
bought  for  less  than  fifteen  dollars,  and  yet 
it  could  be  made  at  home  for  five  dollars. 

Ribbon  embroidery  is  one  of  the  new  ma¬ 
terials  introduced  into  the  making  of  candle- 
shades.  Cream  silk  shades  are  made  with  a 
simple  decoration  in  ribbon  embroidery.  A 
neat  little  silk  gimp  outlines  each  panel,  while 
the  shade  is  completed  with  a  pretty  beaded 
fringe. 

There  is  something  very  charming  about  a 
heavy  lace  shade.  Some  are  made  of  cream 
lace  stretched  over  heavy  corded  yellow  sdk 
which  is  edged  top  and  bottom  with  a  cream 
silk  gimp,  and  a  bead  fringe  matching  the  silk 
lining.  The  same  idea  can  be  carried  out 
by  using  an  open  Japanese  brocaded  silk,  and 
makes  a  lamp-shade  very  Eastern  in  appear 
ance.  Several  of  the  new  lace  shades  have  the 
flowers  stained  pink  or  yellow,  while  the  leaves 
are  tinted  green.  These  are  very  beautiful 
when  the  light  filters  through  them,  and  at  first 
it  is  difficult  to  realize  of  what  they  consist. 

[  141 1 


Home  Decoration 


A  good  linen  lace  is  usually  made  use  of,  as 
a  poor  quality  looks  tawdry.  Such  a  shade  could 
be  easily  made  by  an  amateur.  Frames  for  the 
shades  are  supplied  by  the  lamp  stores,  and  when 
the  wires  are  covered  with  cheese-cloth  it  is  a 
very  easy  matter  to  sew  the  materials  on  them. 

Among  the  shades  ornamented  with  ribbon 
embroidery,  some  have  a  kind  of  ribbon 
resembling  the  coronation  braid,  and  most  of 
the  new  French  shades  are  made  use  of  in 
some  form  or  other.  White  ruching  for  ladies’ 
dresses  is  also  used  on  some  shades  instead 
of  silk  trimming.  The  fluted  shades  of  heavy 
corded  silk  with  a  design  in  water-color,  which 
is  painted  on  the  silk  before  it  is  fluted,  are 
very  dainty-looking. 

The  new  stencilled  shades  are  very  artistic. 
They  are  made  of  white  silk  and  photograph 
mounting  paper  in  the  form  of  a  stencil. 
Strong  notes  of  color  are  added  by  the  ground¬ 
work  of  the  silk  being  stained  the  color  desired. 
These  shades  are  made  by  a  New  York  girl, 
who  has  patented  her  clever  idea. 

There  is  a  wide  field  for  amateurs  in  this 
direction,  and  a  good  income  is  awaiting  the 
brainy  girl  who  can  evolve  something  really 

[  142  ] 


Lamps  and  Candle  Shades 

original,  like  the  above-mentioned  candle- 
shades.  These  shades  can  be  obtained  in 
several  sizes  for  candles,  and  also  for  lamp¬ 
shades.  As  they  are  always  used  over  isinglass, 
they  are  not  unserviceable. 


[  143] 


CHAPTER  XV 


Needlework  in  the  Hands  of  a  Crafts¬ 
man 

The  development  of  decorative  needlework 
of  all  kinds  has  been  very  marked  within  the 
last  few  years,  not  only  in  the  quality  of  the 
work  itself,  but  especially  in  the  original  and 
clever  designs  that  are  thought  out  by  intelli¬ 
gent  craftworkers.  Often  the  simplest  kind  of 
material  is  selected,  depending  upon  effective 
stitchery  and  the  individuality  of  the  designer. 

The  revival  of  many  old  stitches  has  given 
abundant  scope,  both  for  the  needleworker 
and  designer.  A  material  much  used  to-day 
is  the  Russian  hand-made  crash.  It  only 
comes  about  fifteen  inches  wide,  but  this 
narrow  width  serves  as  an  impetus  to  the 
craftsman  for  evolving  some  pleasing  lines  in 
the  embroidery.  This  was  done  by  four 
trees  in  a  panel  being  darned  on  this  crash,  a 
solid  mass  of  stitches  hiding  the  seam  which 
joined  the  panels.  The  design  darned  in  silk, 
[  144 1 


DARNING 


DARNING 


A  Craftsman’s  Needlework 

in  soft  tones  of  green  and  old  rose  was  one 
of  the  most  charming  pieces  of  needlework 
sent  from  Newcomb  College,  New  Orleans, 
to  the  recent  exhibition  of  the  National  Society 
of  Craftsmen. 

An  interesting  sideboard  cloth  was  made  of 
coarsely  woven  gray  linen  and  was  ornamented 
by  a  bold  design  of  trees.  Instead  of  the 
darning  being  flat,  each  stitch  formed  a  loop, 
giving  a  raised  effect  which  was  very  pleasing. 
The  trees  were  in  green,  while  the  darker  spots 
were  red.  The  same  idea  could  be  carried 
out  for  a  portiere,  the  foliage  appearing  at  the 
top  of  the  curtain  and  the  trunk  being  con¬ 
tinued  to  within  a  foot  of  the  bottom,  when  it 
was  finished  off  with  the  suggestion  of  a  root. 

The  Deerfield  Society  has  done  much  inter¬ 
esting  and  beautiful  embroidery  of  late  years 
in  blue  and  white.  An  effort  has  been  made  to 
keep  as  closely  as  possible  to  the  spirit  of 
colonial  designs,  varying  them  somewhat,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  judgment  of  the  designer. 
Hand-spun  home-woven  linens  are  used  for 
most  of  the  needlework.  Owing  to  the  un¬ 
satisfactory  character  of  commercial  blues, 

the  Deerfield  Society  has  done  most  of  its  own 
10  [145] 


Home  Decoration 

dyeing  with  indigo  dyes.  Further  develop¬ 
ments  resulted  in  the  dyeing  of  the  hand¬ 
made  materials  for  the  groundwork  and  in  the 
introduction  of  charming  color  schemes  for 
these  old-time  colonial  designs  which  were 
first  seen  only  in  blue  and  white. 

Cross-stitch  is  very  characteristic  of  the 
Deerfield  work,  and  is  particularly  well 
adapted  for  sideboard  cloths  and  bureau-cov¬ 
ers;  and  when  worked  on  a  coarse  material 
is  not  tedious  to  do.  At  first  glance  it  is 
difficult  to  tell  whether  such  work  is  embroi¬ 
dery  or  Swiss  weaving,  as  both  have  the  same 
characteristics. 

An  attractive  portiere  could  be  made  for  the 
summer  home  stencilled  on  undyed  burlap,  or 
applied  on  denim  or  canvas  with  a  narrow 
black  braid  to  outline  the  design. 

One  of  the  most  attractive  materials  for 
portieres  is  craftsman’s  canvas,  made  in  a 
wonderful  range  of  colors,  which  include  dull 
shades  of  pomegranate,  warm  yellows,  many 
shades  of  blue  and  green,  and  rich  foliage 
brown.  Being  woven  of  jute  and  linen  and 
then  dyed  in  the  piece,  the  quality  of  the  tex¬ 
ture  shows  a  delightful  variation  on  the  surface, 

[  146  ] 


A  Craftsman’s  Needlework 

caused  by  the  way  in  which  the  two  threads 
take  the  color.  It  lends  itself  to  almost  any 
kind  of  needlework,  hemstitch,  applique,  and 
quaint  patterns  of  cross-stitch.  A  portiere  of 
brown  canvas  has  an  applique  of  tan  linen, 
outlined  with  two  rows  of  embroidery  done 
in  heavy  green  linen  flax.  Green  stitchery  is 
also  introduced  on  the  canvas  itself,  while  the 
applique  is  accented  by  some  deep  red  spots 
being  worked  on  it. 

Applique 

Until  a  year  or  two  ago  the  word  applique 
suggested  luxury.  Costly  hangings  embel¬ 
lished  with  applique  work  were  seldom  even 
seen  by  the  average  person.  They  were  read 
of  in  books  as  adorning  the  mansions  of  the 
wealthy. 

The  expensive  materials  upon  which  the 
work  was  done,  and  the  enormous  cost  of 
labor  expended  in  applying  intricate  designs, 
placed  the  hangings  at  a  price  far  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  person  of  ordinary  means.  Now 
we  constantly  come  across  good  work  in  this 
line  done  on  linens  and  mercerized  cottons  in 
excellent  designs,  and  entailing  only  a  mod- 

[  147  1 


Home  Decoration 


erate  amount  of  labor.  Such  work  can  be 
undertaken  by  many  who  wish  to  add  to  the 
beauty  of  their  homes. 

Most  women  have  some  skill  with  the  needle, 
and  many  have  a  natural  taste  in  the  choice 
and  arrangement  of  colors.  The  charm  of 
modern  applique  work  lies  in  the  use  of  good, 
bold  designs  and  in  the  selection  of  simple  and 
effective  colorings.  The  frank  use  of  a  wide 
stitch  here  and  there  gives  a  pleasing  variety 
to  the  outline  of  a  design.  The  knowledge  of 
how  to  do  applique  work  is  really  a  combina¬ 
tion  of  needlecraft  and  color  sense,  and  is  not 
at  all  hard  to  acquire. 

In  many  cases,  especially  where  it  is  used 
for  wall  decoration,  the  design  is  first  stencilled 
and  then  outlined  with  embroidery.  This  is 
especially  effective  for  portieres  when  time  can¬ 
not  be  spared  for  more  elaborate  ornament. 

As  an  example  of  this  work,  a  bedspread 
of  yellow  linen  used  in  a  yellow  and  brown 
bedroom  was  made  in  five  strips.  All  the 
seams  were  concealed  by  a  stitching  of  heavy 
brown  embroidery  which  also  hid  the  hem 
line.  Above  this  hem  appeared  a  tiny  tree 
ornament  in  outline  at  the  base  of  the  valance. 

[  148  ] 


APPLIQUE  TABLE  CLOTH 


A  Craftsman’s  Needlework 

The  same  motif  was  again  repeated  in  the 
window  curtains. 

Another  decorative  piece  of  needlework  was 
shown  in  a  table  square  made  for  a  craftsman’s 
dining-room,  of  white  linen,  on  which  corn- 
colored  linen  was  introduced  in  the  couching 
which  held  the  applique  in  place. 

Couching  is  a  thick  strand  of  linen  flax  or 
crewels  laid  round  the  applied  design,  and 
stitched  at  regular  intervals  by  threads  crossing 
the  couching  line  at  right  angles.  Cord  is 
applied  in  the  same  way.  The  couching  may 
be  made  of  filoselle  or  embroidery  silk,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  texture  of  the  material  used. 
Some  workers  prefer  the  linen  flax  or  mer¬ 
cerized  cottons  on  coarse  linens,  but  many 
find  the  silks  easier  to  work;  the  effect  is  so 
much  the  same  that  it  is  best  for  the  worker 
to  use  her  favorite  material. 

One  of  the  best  ways  of  preparing  designs 
for  applique  work  is  to  trace  the  outline  upon 
the  material  to  be  used  as  the  applique,  and 
fasten  it  securely  with  drawing  pins  upon  a 
table.  Then  lay  red  or  black  transfer  paper 
face  downward  upon  the  linen,  muslin,  or 
other  material  to  be  used.  Place  the  design 

[  149 1 


H  ome  Decoration 


upon  this  and  go  over  the  outline  firmly  with 
a  blunt  instrument.  After  removing  the  paper, 
if  the  design  is  not  sufficiently  plain,  strengthen 
it  with  a  pencil.  Then  cut  out  the  shapes  and 
lay  them  on  the  groundwork.  It  is  best  to  sew 
them  on  at  once,  before  the  material  begins 
to  fray,  with  cotton  or  silk  exactly  the  color 
of  the  ground.  These  stitches  are  afterward 
covered  by  a  line  of  cord  or  couched  silks, 
but  when  very  neat  workmanship  is  required, 
the  edges  are  worked  in  art  or  satin  stitch. 
A  child’s  coverlet  could  be  done  in  this  way, 
yet  in  a  portiere  it  would  seem  a  waste  of  time. 
If  the  design  were  outlined  by  couched  threads 
it  would  look  quite  as  effective  and  be  a 
quicker  process.  The  stems  are  worked  in 
crewel  or  stem  stitch  as  a  rule,  but  every  now 
and  then  designs  can  be  seen  with  stems  of 
tiny  silk  cords. 

Stem  stitch  is  the  best  stitch  to  use  for 
stems  and  places  where  no  applique  is  needed. 
It  consists  of  a  long  stitch  forward  on  the 
surface  of  the  material,  and  a  shorter  one 
back  on  the  under  side,  working  from  left  to 
right. 

Art  or  satin  stitch  is  the  same  on  both  sides, 
[  IS°  1 


A  Craftsman’s  Needlework 

and  is  done  by  passing  the  thread  evenly  from 
one  outline  of  the  pattern  to  the  other. 

The  child’s  coverlet  referred  to  above  was 
made  of  two  pieces  of  coarse  Holland,  the 
back  being  cut  larger  than  the  front,  brought 
over  and  joined  four  inches  from  the  edge. 
This  join  is  concealed  by  a  line  of  blue-green 
embroidery  worked  in  satin  stitch.  The  leaves 
and  stems  are  cut  in  one  piece  and  are  made 
of  olive-green  linen.  Some  of  the  flowers  are 
peach  color,  while  some  are  a  tomato  red. 
The  flowers  are  all  outlined  in  the  deepest 
shade  of  red,  worked  also  in  art  stitch,  the 
leaves  being  outlined  with  the  blue-green  used 
on  the  hem  line.  This  piece  of  work  is  very 
beautiful,  though  nearly  the  same  effect  could 
be  gained  by  the  use  of  couching. 

A  tray  cloth  would  require  a  light  couching, 
stitched  about  one-quarter  of  an  inch  apart, 
while  on  an  Arras-cloth  portiere  of  large  de¬ 
sign  the  couching  might  have  six  strands  of 
heavy  linen  flax  and  be  stitched  an  inch  apart. 

A  design  which  can  be  adapted  for  sideboard 
cloths  or  portieres  is  one  used  at  the  top  of  the 
curtain  in  a  lattice  window.  It  is  made  of 
cadet  blue  and  deep  olive  linen  on  a  ground  of 

[  I51 1 


Home  Decoration 

white,  and  is  embroidered  like  the  child’s  cover¬ 
let.  This  clever  design  should  be  used  on  a  por¬ 
tiere  with  the  base  to  form  a  three-inch  band  of 
deep  color  on  the  side  of  the  portiere,  and  the 
same  piece  of  linen  for  stems  and  leaves.  The 
fruit,  however,  should  be  of  a  contrasting  color. 

The  same  design,  enlarged,  could  be  used 
for  a  frieze  treatment  on  a  blue  Arras-cloth 
portiere.  Applique  also  in  two  harmonizing 
shades  of  blue  linen  is  attractive  in  a  blue  room 
with  mahogany  furniture.  The  design  is  so 
simple  that  an  amateur  having  little  technical 
knowledge  could  draw  it  from  the  illustration. 

A  cushion  design  on  blue  gray  linen  has  an 
applique  of  blue  linen  for  the  leaves,  couched 
with  the  same  shade  of  linen  flax.  The  bird 
is  in  ecru  linen  on  a  ground  of  blue  a  shade 
paler  than  the  leaves.  This  design  is  also 
available  as  a  stencil. 

A  table-cloth  of  gray  blue  has  the  ground¬ 
work  left  for  the  leaves,  the  applique  being 
one  large  piece  of  dull  green  linen.  This  is 
an  intricate  piece  of  work,  as  every  leaf  and 
all  the  green  surroundings  are  outlined  in 
satin  stitch  exactly  the  shade  of  the  ground¬ 
work. 


[  152  ] 


A  Craftsman’s  Needlework 

A  curtain  of  Arras  cloth,  with  the  design 
outlined  in  cord,  and  the  flower  motif  held 
in  place  by  blanket  stitch,  shows  that  quick 
needlework  can  give  an  effect  of  good  applique 
work  with  much  less  labor.  An  inexpensive 
curtain  can  thus  be  made  of  green  Arras  cloth 
with  a  tapestry  border  obtainable  at  any  up¬ 
holsterer’s.  It  has  alternate  flowers  of  old 
rose  and  yellow,  with  green  leaves  on  an  ecru 
ground.  It  can  be  used  either  on  upholsterers’ 
velvet  or  on  a  good  shade  of  olive  velours. 

Tapestry  borders  are  always  in  evidence, 
but  these,  with  their  appearance  of  needle¬ 
work,  are  by  far  the  prettier,  and  can  be  used 
in  almost  any  sitting-room. 

It  must,  nevertheless,  be  borne  in  mind  that 
applique  work  is  dependent  on  its  outline  for 
much  of  its  beauty.  The  outline,  therefore, 
should  be  well  defined,  and  form  part  of  the 
design,  as  lead  lines  do  in  stained  glass.  Well- 
blended  colors  and  an  intelligent  appreciation 
of  needlecraft  are  the  sole  requirements  of  the 
worker  in  successful  applique. 


[  153 1 


CHAPTER  XVI 
Finishing  Touches 

Nothing  adds  so  much  to  the  finishing 
touches  of  a  room  as  pillows  that  are  really 
beautiful,  both  in  design  and  workmanship. 
They  should  accent  some  dominant  note  of 
color  in  the  room,  and  should  always  be  in 
harmony  with  their  surroundings.  Coarse 
material  must  be  utilized  for  mission  rooms, 
while  dainty  boudoirs  will  call  for  pillows  of 
silk  and  satin.  Some  of  the  most  decorative 
pillows  are  made  from  the  cheapest  material, 
and  a  few  suggestions  on  these  lines  should  be 
helpful,  not  only  for  all-the-year-round  pillows, 
but  especially  for  those  for  porch  and  summer- 
cottage  use.  The  city  home  may  be  trans¬ 
formed,  and  yet  the  colors  of  the  room  retained 
by  covering  heavy  velours  pillows  with  dainty 
cottons,  instead  of  uninteresting  striped  Hol¬ 
land  with  their  cheap  buttons  plainly  in 
evidence.  If  the  room  is  furnished  in  red, 
what  could  be  more  effective  than  a  check 
[  154 1 


Finishing  Touches 


gingham  with  squares  at  least  an  inch  wide  ? 
When  these  are  made  neatly  with  a  double  frdl 
they  will  not  only  serve  as  a  protection  to  the 
expensive  pillows,  but  will  give  a  fresh  and 
dainty  appearance  to  the  room,  impossible 
when  the  funereal  Holland  covers  are 

used. 

Short  remnants  of  cretonnes  may  be  picked 
up  for  almost  nothing  in  the  spring  and  fall, 
and  the  wise  housekeeper  will  do  well  to  lay 
in  a  stock  of  these  for  her  summer  pillows. 
Even  a  yard  will  cover  a  twenty-four-inch 
pillow.  To  do  this,  place  the  pillow  diagonally 
in  the  middle  of  the  yard  of  material.  The 
corners  should  meet  in  the  centre  of  the  back, 
and  when  neatly  sewed  together  the  effect  is 

good. 

For  bedrooms  it  is  always  well  to  cover 
window-seat  cushions  and  pillows  with  some¬ 
thing  dainty.  White  Swiss,  frilled,  looks  cool 
and  sweet,  and  pretty  cheap  cretonnes  can 
be  used  if  the  pillows  are  not  already  covered 


in  cotton. 

It  is  important  that  really  decorative  pillows 
should  be  used  on  the  porch,  and  not,  as  is 
often  the  case,  with  soiled  rubbish  from  the 


[  155 1 


Home  Decoration 

house.  The  piazza  being  the  summer  sitting- 
room,  the  making  of  suitable  and  artistic 
pi  lows  is  of  paramount  importance.  It  is 
best  to  have  them  of  inexpensive  materials 
not  only  for  economical  reasons,  but  because 
they  are  more  suitable.  Even  floor  cloths  can 
e  utilized  for  the  making  of  these  pillows. 
e  Sray  yarn  with  which  they  are  woven 
makes  a  charming  background  for  either  sten- 
C1.  ing  or  applique.  Such  a  pillow  requires  no 
trimming,  but  the  corners  should  be  rounded. 
Art  ticking  can  be  procured  in  biscuit  color- 
this,  too,  makes  an  excellent  background  for 
applique  or  stencilling.  Woven  grass  from 
Madagascar  in  two  contrasting  colors  are  also 
useful  for  making  into  porch  pillows.  The 
best  way  to  make  these  is  to  sew  the  square 
inside  out  and  then  turn  it  the  right  way  and 
run  a  row  of  machine  stitching  half  an  inch 
from  the  edge.  This  gives  a  finish  all-sufficient 
for  the  purpose.  Gray  Russian  crash  is  in¬ 
valuable  for  such  pillows.  It  is  sold  for  tea 
towelling,  and  as  it  is  only  fifteen  inches  wide 
its  use,  however,  is  limited  unless  a  seam  is’ 
not  objected  to.  This  material  is  charming  for 
stencilling,  and  can  be  further  embellished  by 
[156] 


THE  PIAZZA — THE  SUMMER  SITTING-ROOM 


Finishing  Touches 

the  outline  of  a  narrow  cord  or  a  coarse  outline 
of  chain  stitch. 

Summer  is  a  good  time  for  fitting  out  and 
planning  for  winter  furnishing.  A  pillow  top 
is  a  very  handy  piece  of  needlework  for  fancy 
work,  and  a  busy  woman  can  often  be  making 
these  when  it  would  be  impossible  to  give  the 
time  to  it  in  winter. 

Many  interesting  pillow  tops  are  sold  at 
the  art  needlework  departments,  often  with  the 
design  indicated  in  color.  These  can  either 
be  worked  up  with  long  and  short  stitch,  or 
outlined  only  by  a  cord. 

I  am  afraid  that  many  of  us  fall  short  of 
our  ideals  in  homemaking  when  we  come  to 
the  beds.  It  is  so  easy  to  go  to  a  department- 
store  and  get  a  ready-made  Marseilles  quilt, 
and  we  salve  our  conscience  by  telling  our¬ 
selves  that,  after  all,  there  is  nothing  like  white 
on  a  bed.  We  do  not  honestly  believe  this, 
as  is  proved  by  the  way  women  gush  over 
decorative  bedspreads  made  of  colored  ma¬ 
terials  that  they  see  in  the  homes  of  their 
friends.  We  have  expended  so  much  energy 
in  getting  the  right  wall-paper  and  rugs,  and 
in  evolving  successful  curtains,  that  by  the 

I!  iS7  1 


Home  Decoration 


time  we  come  to  bureau-covers  and  bedspreads 
our  decorative  energy  is  exhausted.  Another 
reason  for  carelessness  in  this  direction  is  that 
in  the  spring  we  think  we  will  put  it  off  until 
the  autumn,  and  in  the  autumn  we  think  of 
the  dirt  made  by  the  furnace,  and  decide  that 
we  will  put  it  off  until  the  spring,  and  so  we 
delay  getting  pretty  bedspreads. 

There  is  no  end  to  the  variety  of  beautiful 
things  that  we  can  buy  from  which  to  make 
them.  The  bedspreads  should  either  match 
the  bureau-covers  or  the  curtains,  or  be  a  thing 
to  itself,  in  which  case  it  must  centre  the 
decorative  qualities  of  the  room.  Several  very 
pretty  materials  sold  for  bedspreads  can  be 
obtained.  Cream  Madrases,  seventy  inches 
wide,  are  beautiful  when  a  deep  frill  is  added 
to  form  a  valance.  These  are  very  pretty  over 
a  cream  sateen  slip.  They  also  come  in  floral 
deigsns  in  many  dainty  colors,  the  ground 
usually  being  cream.  Inner  curtains  to  match 
the  bedspread  would  be  appropriate,  if  one 
of  these  Madrases  were  selected. 

Some  unique  bedspreads  come  from  Java. 
They  are  made  of  a  coarse,  open  material,  not 

unlike  Madras,  and  have  narrow,  crinkly 

[158] 


Finishing  Touches 

stripes  woven  up  and  down.  The  widths  are 
only  basted  together  in  true  Oriental  fashion 
and  the  whole  is  bordered  with  a  beautiful 
hand-made  fringe.  These  are  called  the  Ana¬ 
tolian  bedspreads,  and  can  be  boug  t  y 
themselves,  or  with  the  three-an  -a  a  yar 
curtains.  They  are  inexpensive,  as  a  bed¬ 
spread  costs  only  five  dollars,  this  also  being 
the  price  of  a  pair  of  curtains.  It  is  necessary 
to  remake  them,  and  when  the  edges  are  neat  y 
seamed  by  hand,  the  bedspread,  to  all  intents 
and  purposes,  is  in  one  piece.  The  Anatolian 
bedspreads  come  in  cream  with  white  fringes 
and  white  stripes.  They  can  also  be  bought 
with  red  stripes,  blue  stripes,  or  yellow.  e 

fringe  is  always  white.  . 

Linen  sheets  can  also  be  utilized  as  bed¬ 
spreads,  and  can  be  trimmed  with  Anatolian 
fringe,  which  is  sold  separately  at  thirty- 
five  cents  a  yard.  Another  very  attractive 
material  is  dimity  in  dainty  little  designs.  One 
of  these  consists  of  stripes  of  colored  flowers, 
and  has  a  very  old-world  appearance,  it  is 
a  yard  wide  so  that  the  cover  must  have 
two  seams  for  the  three  widths.  If  the  bed 
is  a  small  one,  one  width  can  be  split 

[  1 59  3 


Home  Decoration 

in  two  and  joined  to  either  side  of  the  mid¬ 
dle  width. 

Fresh  white  Swiss  can  also  be  used  for  bed¬ 
spreads.  It  is  a  yard  wide,  and  would  need 
to  be  made  in  the  same  way.  A  deep  frill  of 
the  same  material  is  a  pretty  finish;  a  counter¬ 
pane  hangs  better  for  having  the  frill.  These 
are  usually  made  over  a  colored  slip  carrying 
out  the  predominating  color  of  the  wall-paper. 
White  Swiss  with  spots  as  large  as  twenty-five- 
cent  pieces  may  be  used,  instead  of  the  plain 
material.  A  touch  of  color  may  be  introduced 
by  outlining  the  spots  with  herringbone.  If 
preferred,  each  spot  could  be  outlined  with 
crewel  stitch,  but  the  other  is  more  decorative. 
This,  also,  should  have  a  frill,  the  hem  of 
which  would  need  a  touch  of  herringbone. 

The  most  serviceable  bedspreads  are  made 
of  linen,  as  they  do  not  require  ironing  so 
frequently.  The  linen  can  often  be  bought 
fifty  inches  wide.  They  can  be  embroidered 
or  darned,  and  when  well  designed  are  among 
the  most  effective  covers.  Not  long  ago  I  saw 
a  very  pretty  cream  linen  spread  of  conven¬ 
tional  design.  The  leaves  were  outlined  with 
green,  while  the  bell-shaped  flowers  were  out- 

[  160  ] 


Finishing  Touches 

lined  in  yellow.  The  room  for  which  this 
bedspread  was  designed  had  curtains,  table- 
covers,  and  bureau-covers  to  match,  the  design 
varying  in  size  according  to  its  use.  Another 
cream  linen  bedspread  I  admired  was  dec¬ 
orated  with  a  border  of  “love-in-the-mist,” 
mostly  in  outline.  The  flower  was  worked  in 
turquoise  blue,  while  the  leaves  were  in  two 
shades  of  willow  green.  A  slightly  gathered 
frill  of  linen  formed  a  deep  valance,  and  was 
finished  off  with  a  piping  of  blue.  It  was  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  bedspreads  I  have  ever 
seen,  and  did  not  take  as  long  to  embroider 
as  would  be  imagined. 

An  effective  spread  had  a  border  of  em¬ 
broidered  roses.  The  stems  formed  two 
straight  rows  with  a  group  of  three  roses  half 
an  inch  apart.  The  petals  and  the  stems  were 
worked  solid,  but  the  leaves  were  only  out¬ 
lined.  It  was  worked  in  old  rose  and  green, 
and  the  strong  touch  was  given  by  the  stems 
being  worked  in  brown.  It  was  made  of  heavy 
cream  linen. 

An  original  all-white  bedspread  can  be  made 
from  pique,  darned  and  outlined  with  white 
crochet  cotton  in  a  bold  art-nouveau  design, 

ii  [  161  ] 


Home  Decoration 


and  would  be  quite  out  of  the  general  run. 
There  is  a  wide  field  for  the  designer  of  good 
inexpensive  bedspreads,  and  this  idea  is 
worthy  of  being  copied. 

Many  suggestions  come  to  us  from  Germany 
and  England.  In  these  countries  bold  decor¬ 
ative  effects  are  aimed  at,  and  much  of  the 
work  consists  of  an  outline  only,  usually  done 
in  a  heavy  linen  twist.  Relying  on  the  design 
rather  than  on  the  material,  they  get  quite 
interesting  effects  at  a  minimum  amount  of 
labor. 

There  is  nothing  in  the  way  of  finishing 
touches  that  makes  or  mars  a  home  more  than 
the  textiles  that  we  put  into  each  room, 
whether  it  be  the  draperies,  table-covers,  or 
furniture  covering,  and  therefore  too  much 
pains  cannot  be  given  to  this  all-important 
subject.  We  are  much  more  handicapped  in 
getting  beautiful  table-covers  than  we  are 
in  finding  draperies,  as  every  season  there  are 
new  things  for  curtains  as  well  as  the  good  old 
standbys,  but  the  choice  in  table-covers  is 
always  limited,  so  that  a  good  deal  of  thought 
is  necessary  to  make  these  at  all  distinctive. 
The  majority  of  table-covers  are  distinctly 

[  162  ] 


Finishing  Touches 

commonplace,  and  have  little  artistic  value, 
and  over  and  over  again  bare  tables  are  seen 
because  the  right  kind  of  covering  cannot  be 
found.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  is  very  hard 
to  improve  upon  a  surface  of  dull-knished 
mahogany,  but  as  we  do  not  all  possess  tables 
which  are  beautiful  in  themselves,  we  have 
of  necessity  to  resort  to  coverings  for  the  table. 
Another  thing  we  cannot  always  rely  upon  is 
that  our  maids  will  dust  the  table  tops  every 
day,  and  nothing  looks  worse  than  a  dusty 
table. 

A  well-designed  and  well-made  table-cover 
is  a  splendid  opportunity  for  adding  a  dec¬ 
orative  note  of  color  to  the  room,  either  by 
accenting  the  color  of  the  curtains  or  some 
tone  in  the  rug  that  we  wish  to  repeat. 

Almost  all  our  illustrations  are  the  work  of 
individual  craftsmen,  and  a  description  of  these 
will,  I  hope,  give  our  readers  some  suggestions 
for  evolving  beautiful  table-covers.  Their  beau¬ 
tiful  blue  and  white  needlework  is  well  known, 
worked  in  blue  on  white  or  cream  grounds;  but 
their  recent  work  shows  a  new  departure 
in  their  needlework.  These  are  vegetable- 
dyed  linens  of  exquisite  colors,  all  of  which 

[  163  ] 


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are  fast  dyed.  On  these  they  embroider,  in 
the  same  style  as  in  their  blue-and-white  work, 
dainty  stitchery  in  soft  harmonizing  colors. 
These  cloths  are  intended  for  small  tables,  and 
so  beautiful  in  coloring  are  they  that  any  one 
seeing  them  would  not  forget  them.  Some  of 
the  large  ones  have  a  flower  worked  in  several 
shades  of  old  rose,  while  the  leaves  are  in  two 
shades  of  green.  The  linen  itself  is  a  deep 
tone  of  rose  red.  These  embroideries  can  be 
found  at  the  various  arts  and  crafts  exhibitions 
throughout  the  country. 

Many  beautiful  table-cloths  can  be  made 
in  applique.  There  is  something  very  dig¬ 
nified  about  them.  A  very  pretty  one  has 
the  centre  of  the  cloth  in  linen  color,  sewed 
in  panel  form  on  a  green  background.  The 
design  repeats  the  color  of  the  border,  but 
is  accented  by  a  line  of  embroidery  worked 
in  outline  stitch.  Many  beautiful  designs  can 
be  made  at  home  in  this  way,  as  the  work  is 
quickly  done,  and  can  be  taken  up  at  odd 
minutes. 

There  is  nothing  new  about  burnt  leather 
for  table-covers,  but  there  is  a  great  diversity 

in  the  quality  and  design.  The  soft  brown 
[  164  ] 


Finishing  Touches 

burnt  tones  of  the  design  on  the  leather 
skin  left  in  its  natural  shape,  just  outlined 
with  a  border,  is  extremely  decorative. 

A  stencilled  cover  intended  for  a  dining¬ 
room  table  can  be  used  on  the  bare  wood  or. 
as  a  centre  over  a  white  cloth.  The  grapes 
in  dull  purple  and  the  leaves  in  green,  are 
appropriate,  but  the  design  is  just  as  effective 
when  carried  out  in  one  color. 

Very  beautiful  table-cloths  can  be  made  by 
weaving,  and  these  can  either  be  woven  in  a 
rag-carpet  loom,  with  fine  warp  and  narrow 
strips,  giving  a  fine  even  texture  to  the  fabric, 
or  beautiful  covers  can  be  made  on  a  Swedish 
loom.  It  is  woven  in  linen  thread,  the  design 
in  pale  blue  and  green,  on  a  gray  background. 
Those  who  do  not  possess  a  loom,  or  who  have 
not  the  opportunity  of  buying  hand-woven 
stuffs,  could  carry  out  the  same  idea  by  darn¬ 
ing  the  design.  This  table-cover  is  very  bold 
in  its  treatment,  and  must,  of  course,  be  used 
in  a  room  of  pronounced  character.  With 
heavy  mission  furniture  and  modern  hangings, 
it  would  be  extremely  decorative. 

To-day  we  can  find  in  the  shops  charming 

little  printed  covers,  very  English  in  their 

[165] 


Home  Decoration 


design,  and  they  often  give  the  right  touch  of 
color  needed  in  a  bedroom  or  an  up-stairs 
sitting-room.  A  little  time  spent  in  going  over 
the  dark  lines  with  coarse  embroidery  stitch 
is  well  worth  while,  and  converts  an  inexpen¬ 
sive  printed  cover  into  an  individual  piece  of 
needlework.  They  have  all  the  appearance  of 
an  applique  when  outlined  and  veined.  These 
printed  covers  are  usually  fast  in  color,  so 
that  they  can  be  washed  from  time  to  time. 
As  they  have  a  white  or  a  cream  ground,  it  is 
important  to  remember  that  the  outline  stitch 
should  be  done  in  washable  flax  or  mercerized 
cotton. 

A  great  variety  of  these  printed  covers  are 
procurable,  and  their  use  need  not  be  confined 
to  table-covers,  as  they  make  very  pretty 
coverings  for  wicker  chairs,  or  may  be  used 
for  the  seats  of  bedroom  chairs.  So  many  of 
them  harmonize  with  the  wall-papers  that  we 
must  not  overlook  them  when  adding  the 
decorative  touch  of  table-covers  to  our  homes. 


[  166] 


CHAPTER  XVII 


Ornamenting  Fabrics  by  Means  of  Sten¬ 
cilling  and  Block  Printing 

When  furnishing  a  home  the  money  seems 
to  melt  away  in  a  most  unaccountable  manner, 
and  by  the  time  the  main  things  have  been 
purchased  there  does  not  seem  to  be  enough 
money  left  to  buy  the  necessary  details  which 
add  so  much  to  the  house.  Curtains,  pillows, 
bureau-covers — all  have  to  be  purchased,  and 
generally  the  cost  of  these  is  curtailed  by 
some  unforeseen  yet  necessary  purchase.  When 
this  is  so,  the  use  of  the  stencil  or  block  print 
makes  the  purchase  of  expensive  hangings 
unnecessary,  as  simple,  cheap  materials  can 
be  purchased  in  their  place  and  ornamented 
by  applied  color.  This  will  frequently  be  the 
means  of  making  the  home  a  great  deal  more 
individual,  and  I  will  give  a  few  directions  as 
to  how  this  can  be  accomplished. 

The  work  of  applying  color  on  a  given  sur¬ 
face  by  means  of  a  stencil  is  comparatively 

[  167  ] 


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easy,  as  this  part  of  the  work  is  merely  mechan¬ 
ical,  requiring  practice  to  acquire  deftness  in 
handling  the  stencils.  Considerable  care  is 
necessary  to  keep  the  work  clean,  for  the  con¬ 
stant  moving  of  the  stencil  is  apt  to  leave  spots 
unless  great  vigilance  is  exercised. 

There  are  many  ways  of  doing  this  kind  of 
work,  but  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  adapt 
the  designs  to  inevitable  conditions  common  to 
all  practical  designs.  In  planning  a  stencil 
it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  design 
should  be  broken  up  into  small  parts;  the 
smaller  they  are  the  better.  The  “  ties  ”  should 
never  mar  the  design,  for  they  are  an  essential 
part  of  it  and  can  be  brought  into  the  pattern 
in  such  a  way  that  they  do  not  obtrude  them¬ 
selves  at  all. 

The  intentional  effacing  of  the  ties  should 
never  be  done.  The  frank  acceptance  of  the 
limitations  of  a  stencil  print  is  craftsmanlike, 
and  makes  the  stencil  more  interesting. 

In  making  designs  for  stencil  treatment,  it 
will  be  found  that  the  most  successful  are 
those  that  are  simple  and  conventional.  In 
the  drawing  of  leaves,  for  instance,  the  veining 
will  become  part  of  the  ornament,  and  the 

[  168  ] 


STENCILLING  WITH  DYES 


$  : 

* 


Stencilling  and  Block  Printing 

natural  form  of  the  flower  will  become  more 
or  less  conventionalized,  if  treated  judiciously 
with  reticence  and  self-restraint,  thereby  in¬ 
suring  artistic  strength. 

Many  persons  lack  originality,  and  when 
this  is  so  it  is  well  to  study  the  designs  woven 
in  fabrics  and  embroidery  patterns.  By  copy¬ 
ing  these  and  by  changing  and  simplifying 
the  designs,  and  by  adding  the  necessary 
“ties/’  they  will  be  altered  completely.  Before 
long  the  hand  will  have  become  accustomed 
to  drawing  good  lines  and  curves,  and  origi¬ 
nality  will  soon  follow.  People  with  no  knowl¬ 
edge  of  drawing  have  frequently  become  good 
stencilers. 

There  are  various  ways  of  making  stencils 
after  the  design  is  perfected.  First  it  must  be 
traced  off  on  to  the  prepared  stencil  paper. 
Manila  paper  is  often  used  after  it  has  been 
saturated  with  a  solution  of  equal  parts  of 
linseed-oil  and  turpentine,  to  which  has  been 
added  an  amount  of  Japan  drier  equal  to  one- 
sixth  of  the  combined  oil  and  turpentine.  The 
design  is  then  cut  with  a  sharp  knife.  Some 
prefer  a  small  board,  but  a  heavy  piece  of  glass 
is  more  practical  to  cut  the  stencil  on. 

[  169  ] 


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The  process  of  cutting  is  tedious,  as  care 
and  accuracy  is  required  to  avoid  slips  of  the 
knife  on  the  ties.  A  thin  coat  of  shellac 
applied  to  the  stencil  protects  it  from  the  wet 
pigments  used  in  applying  color.  Very  satis¬ 
factory  results  are  obtained  by  making  use 
of  the  prepared  stencil  paper,  but  it  is  not  as 
durable  as  the  treated  manila  paper.  It  is 
well  to  rule  horizontal  and  perpendicular  lines 
through  the  centre  of  the  designs,  so  as  to 
insure  accuracy  in  matching  the  pattern  when 
the  stencil  is  moved. 

Oil  paints' or  dyes  are  used  for  stencilling  on 
fabrics.  If  oil  paint  is  used  it  should  be 
squeezed  on  to  blotting-paper,  which  will 
absorb  some  of  the  oil,  so  that  when  it  is 
applied  to  the  fabric  there  is  not  an  outline  of 
oil  around  the  design.  The  drawback  in  using 
oil  paints  is  the  difficulty  in  matching  colors 
when  the  dark  is  not  done  at  one  time,  for  if 
enough  material  is  mixed  one  day  and  it  is 
left  overnight  it  changes  somewhat  and  needs 
turpentine,  which  will  change  the  color  slightly. 

Dyes  are  much  less  troublesome  to  use,  as 
they  can  be  bottled,  and  each  time  they  are 

used  are  exactly  the  same  shade.  I  have  ex- 
[  170 1 


Stencilling  and  Block  Printing 

perimented  with  most  of  the  commercial  dyes 
and  find  that  they  are  usually  fast  in  color, 
but  many  people  do  not  find  them  so,  as  they 
will  not  take  the  trouble  to  carry  out  all  the 
necessary  directions.  All  dyes  do  not  require 
the  same  kind  of  fixative,  but  they  all  require 
covering  with  a  damp  cloth  and  pressing  with 
an  iron  when  dry.  Directions  are  sold  with 
each  make  of  dye. 

When  applying  the  colors,  take  a  small  quan¬ 
tity  in  the  brush  and  rub  it  into  the  fabric  with 
a  round  stencil  brush  not  too  large,  so  as  to 
stain  the  fabric  without  clogging  the  mesh  of 
the  material.  It  will  be  found  by  experience 
that  scrim  and  bobinet  need  a  lighter  touch 
than  crash  or  linen.  Some  fabrics,  like  sash 
curtains,  require  the  design  to  be  equally 
strong  on  both  sides,  which  is  accomplished 
by  going  over  it  twice.  If  the  stencil  is  two 
feet  long,  by  the  time  the  end  is  reached 
the  part  done  first  will  be  dry  enough  for 
another  application  before  the  stencil  .is 
removed. 

The  work  is  extremely  fascinating  to  do,  and 
practice  soon  makes  a  good  stenciller.  Stencils 

can  be  used  for  many  purposes,  but  are  espe- 

[  171 1 


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dally  attractive  on  curtains  of  muslin,  nets, 
denims,  linens,  and  velvets  and  portieres. 
Screens  also  may  be  ornamented  by  this 
method. 

The  Japanese  have  made  stencilling  a  fine 
art;  the  breaks  in  the  lines,  the  crossing  of 
stems,  are  all  turned  to  account.  Sometimes 
a  shadowy  effect  is  [given  by  first  stencil¬ 
ling  a  strong  design,  and  afterward  ap¬ 
plying  a  second  stencil  or  a  series  of  vertical 
lines. 

For  curtains  a  simple  continuous  border 
design  looks  better  than  one  with  isolated 
figures.  A  running  vine,  a  geometrical  pattern, 
or  a  composition  of  waving  lines  all  make 
good  borders. 

Block  printing  has  some  advantages  over 
stencilling  in  that  dark  materials  look  better 
done  in  this  method.  Then  again  stencilling 
does  not  require  the  same  amount  of  skill,  and 
is  therefore  sometimes  rather  monotonous 
when  a  great  many  yards  of  the  same  design 
have  to  be  done.  I  honestly  believe  one  reason 
for  the  preference  being  given  to  block  printing 
by  those  who  are  familiar  with  both  is  that 

the  patterning  with  a  block  has  the  charm  of 
[  172  ] 


SIDEBOARD  CLOTH — STENCIL  WORK 


SCARF  OF  TUSSORE  SILK— STENCIL  WORK 


Stencilling  and  Block  Printing 

uncertainty  about  it  as  to  the  result  of  each 
impress. 

Some  workers  hold  that  the  fabrics  thus 
ornamented  have  an  added  attractiveness 
when  the  depth  of  the  impressions  is  not 
entirely  uniform.  Certain  it  is  that  a  piece  of 
material  can  be  much  more  rapidly  decorated 
with  the  block  than  with  the  stencil,  as  it  can 
be  moved  so  much  quicker.  The  latter  has 
to  be  fastened  in  place,  and  needs  blotting- 
paper  adjusted  below  every  time  the  stencil 
is  moved,  and  all  this  is  a  little  tedious. 

A  block  is  made  from  a  fine,  close-grained 
piece  of  wood,  such  as  boxwood  or  holly. 
Maple  is  also  a  good  wood,  and  has  the  ad¬ 
vantage  of  being  easily  obtained,  as  children  s 
building-blocks  are  made  of  it.  As  these  come 
in  just  the  sizes  that  many  craftworkers  use, 
they  are  a  great  convenience,  at  any  rate  for 
the  beginner. 

The  block  can  be  cut  with  a  sloyd  knife 
costing  thirty-five  cents,  but  the  carving  is 
more  easily  and  quickly  done  with  chisels  and 
gouges.  A  set  of  six  tools  can  be  purchased 
for  one  dollar.  These  vary  slightly — some 
beine  more  curved  than  others.  The  chisels 
[  173 1 


Home  Decoration 


are  used  for  cutting  round  the  design  and  for 
smoothing  the  background,  while  the  gouges 
are  used  for  digging  out  the  spaces. 

For  the  first  attempt  a  simple,  geometrical 
design  should  be  chosen.  First  make  the 
design  on  paper  and  then  trace  it  carefully 
on  Japanese  tracing  paper  and  paste  it  on 
the  block.  Shade  the  parts  that  will  be  cut  out. 
This  small  help  will  save  many  a  block  from 
being  spoiled.  It  is  so  easy  to  carve  out  the 
wrong  space,  unless  there  is  something  to 
indicate  which  is  to  remain.  When  carving, 
the  lines  may  become  obliterated,  so  go  over 
them  with  a  thick  lead-pencil. 

It  is  best  to  place  the  block  on  the  table, 
on  which  a  cleat  or  piece  of  wood  has  been 
nailed.  Then  press  the  block  firmly  against 
the  cleat  and  nail  another  on  the  other  side 
of  the  block,  thus  keeping  it  perfectly  steady 
while  being  carved. 

Make  a  channel  with  the  gouge  a  little  dis¬ 
tance  from  the  design.  Then  take  the  straight¬ 
edge  chisel  and  cut  vertically  into  the  wood 
close  to  the  design.  When  a  curve  is  reached 
use  the  curved  chisel.  Go  slowly  when  near 

the  edge  of  the  design  so  as  not  to  split  the 
[  174 1 


Stencilling  and  Block  Printing 

surface.  When  all  the  design  has  been  out¬ 
lined  with  the  chisels,  the  background  can  be 
cut  away  with  the  grooves.  Small  pieces 
should  be  removed.  If  too  large  pieces  are 
attempted,  the  pattern  may  be  chipped.  Cut 
to  the  depth  of  from  half  an  inch  to  one  and 
a  half.  If  the  wood  is  too  tough  to  remove  by 
pressure,  use  a  small  hammer  for  striking  the 
tool.  When  the  block  is  all  cut,  the  Japanese 
paper  must  be  washed  off  and  sandpapered 
on  both  sides.  While  care  is  advised  for  the 
beginner,  some  craftworkers  cut  a  block  on 
their  hands  with  a  sloyd  knife  in  less  than 
half  an  hour;  but  of  course  much  depends 
upon  the  individual,  and  those  who  do  this 
are  skilled  craftsmen. 

Some  block  printers  prefer  to  cut  the  design 
out  of  thin  wood  by  means  of  a  fret-saw  and 
then  glue  the  fret  on  to  a  block.  This  is  ad¬ 
visable  when  a  very  delicate  design  is  used. 
Japanese  frets  can  sometimes  be  purchased 
and  made  use  of  for  block  printing.  The  ques¬ 
tion  of  the  nature  of  the  block  must  be  left  to 
the  choice  of  the  worker.  If  a  craftworker  is 
proficient  with  the  saw  and  has  no  wood-carving 
tools,  by  all  means  let  the  fret-saw  be  used. 

[175] 


•  Home  Decoration 

Paint  is  generally  used  for  block  printing, 
moistened  by  turpentine.  The  diluted  color  is 
spread  on  a  pad  with  a  paint  brush  until  the 
felt  is  saturated.  It  must  not  be  too  wet.  Try 
it  by  turning  it  upside  down.  It  must  retain 
the  color  without  dripping.  If  there  is  too 
much,  place  the  pad  on  blotting-paper.  If 
dyes  are  preferred  to  paint,  the  directions  sold 
with  them  must  be  carefully  followed,  and  the 
necessary  fixant  used— either  dextrine  or  gum 
trajacanth  instead  of  mucilage.  Either  the 
powdered  dye  or  the  moist,  sold  in  tubes,  may 
be  used  diluted  with  hot  water. 

When  fabric  has  been  printed  with  dyes  a 
damp  cloth  must  be  laid  over  it  and  pressed 
with  a  hot  iron. 

Having  now  got  all  in  readiness,  the  fas¬ 
cinating  part  of  printing  is  the  next  process. 
At  first  the  block  is  too  new  to  take  up  the 
color,  so  it  must  be  laid  face  downward  on  the 
pad  and  wiped  off  a  number  of  times  with  a 
cloth,  until  the  pores  are  filled.  Stretch  the 
fabric  on  the  table,  and  hold  in  place  with 
thumb  tacks.  Then  take  the  pad  in  the  right 
hand  and  place  the  carved  side  in  the  color. 
Examine  it  when  lifted,  and  if  a  fine, 

[  176] 


even 


BLOCKS  FOR  PRINTING 


BLOCK-PRINTED  CHEESE  CLOTH  SASH  CURTAIN 
WITH  COPPER  BACKGROUND 


Stencilling  and  Block  Printing 

color  is  all  over  the  surface,  press  the  block 
firmly  and  quickly  on  the  fabric.  If  a  fine 
cloth  is  being  ornamented  an  ordinary  pressure 
will  make  a  good  impress,  but  if  the  material 
is  of  coarse  texture,  like  Russian  crash  or 
canvas,  the  block  must  be  hammered  with  a 
mallet.  Strike  fairly  in  the  centre  of  the  block 
to  insure  the  point  being  even,  not  dark  at 
one  end  and  light  at  the  other.  It  takes  a  little 
nerve  at  first  to  print,  as,  of  course,  the  block 
cannot  be  moved  when  it  has  once  touched 
the  fabric. 

Printing  by  block  does  not  make  as  dense 
an  impression  as  the  stencil,  but  it  gives  a 
porous  appearance,  allowing  the  texture  of  the 
material  to  be  seen  through  the  color. 

There  is  a  long  list  from  which  to  choose  of 
suitable  fabrics  for  ornamenting  in  this  way. 
Linens  of  all  kinds  are  excellent,  and  espe¬ 
cially  hand-made  Russian  crash.  A  visit  to 
the  kitchen-towelling  counter  in  any  large  store 
will  reveal  all  kinds  of  inexpensive  linens  in 
gray  or  tan  color,  many  of  which  are  excellent 
for  the  purpose.  When  dark  materials  are 
needed  for  portieres,  denims,  art  ticking  and 
domestic  Monk’s  cloth  are  all  suitable.  A  very 
1 177 1 


12 


Home  Decoration 


beautiful  portiere  for  a  studio  was  made  of 
tobacco-brown  denim  ornamented  with  a 
square  rose  in  copper.  The  imported  Arras 
cloth,  which  can  be  obtained  in  such  a  wide 
range  of  colors,  comes  in  admirably  for  por¬ 
tieres.  Cheap  materials  like  mummy-cloth 
and  cotton  crepe  lend  themselves  admirably 
to  block  printing. 


[178] 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


Arranging  Flowers  Artistically 

In  this  restless  age  of  whirl  and  rush  it  is 
more  than  ever  necessary  that  our  homes 
should  be  simple  and  beautiful  and  serve  as  a 
halting-place  where  we  can  find  peace  and 
artistic  surroundings.  It  is,  as  I  have  often 
said,  the  small  things — or  what  seem  to  some 
the  small  things — that  are  the  chief  factors  in 
making  a  home  what  it  ought  to  be. 

There  is  something  that  appeals  very 
strongly  to  us  in  the  simplicity  of  the  lives  of 
the  Japanese.  The  repose  in  their  home  life, 
the  gentle  way  in  which  they  bring  up  their 
children,  their  soft,  low  voices  serve  to  conjure 
up  a  picture  of  their  homes — beautiful,  restful, 
free  from  trivial  things,  and  possessing  that 
simplicity  which  we  Westerners  are  just  be¬ 
ginning  to  realize  is  so  all-important. 

We  cannot  live  without  chairs  or  thrive  on 
rice  or  saki ,  but  we  can  hang  one  good  picture 
on  the  wall  instead  of  a  dozen,  and  place  a 
[  179 1 


Home  Decoration 

few  decorative  pieces  of  pottery  on  suitable 
shelves  instead  of  grouping  worthless  ones 
anywhere.  The  flowers  must  be  arranged 
with  some  knowledge  of  their  natural  growth. 

A  Japanese  never  crowds  a  mass  of  flowers  of 
various  colors  in  one  vase,  but  deftly  places 
one  flower  with  its  stem  and  leaves  in  a  recep¬ 
tacle  designed  for  just  that  kind  of  flower. 

We  may  not  feel  that  we  have  progressed 
far  enough  to  be  able  to  value  the  single-flower 
decoration,  but  the  idea  is  a  good  one. 

Flowers  must  be  firmly  placed  so  that  they 
do  not  require  a  high  vase  to  support  them. 
Any  hardware  store  will  sell  a  sheet  of  lead 
which  can  be  cut  into  strips  an  inch  or  an  inch 
and  a  half  wide.  These  may  be  six  inches  or 
eight  or  twelve  inches  long.  One  of  these  placed 
in  a  low  dish  makes  a  splendid  flower-holder 
and  can  be  pinched  around  the  stem  of  a 
flower,  and  will  keep  it  from  falling  over. 
Two  or  three  irises  and  six  or  seven  leaves 
look  well  arranged  in  this  lead  grip,  just  as 
they  grow.  The  leaves,  uneven  in  height  and 
cut  from  the  bottom,  give  variety  in  color. 
The  buds  also  should  be  shown.  These  care¬ 
fully,  though  apparently  carelessly,  placed  in 

[  180  ] 


Arranging  Flowers  Artistically 

a  low  Japanese  bowl,  give  a  more  beautiful 
effect  than  a  bunch  of  ten  or  fifteen  would  in 
an  ordinary  vase. 

A  good  deal  depends  on  the  knowledge  of 
how  a  flower  grows.  What  could  be  more 
beautiful  than  nasturtiums?  How  they  wind 
and  trail  when  left  to  themselves!  When 
placed  in  a  glass  bowl  near  the  edge  of  a 
mantelpiece,  they  should  be  allowed  to  keep 
their  wealth  of  trailing  growth,  which,  over¬ 
hanging,  makes  a  beautiful  bit  of  decoration. 

Do  not  overlook  ordinary  jars.  I  find 
common  gray-blue  stoneware  a  suitable  recep¬ 
tacle  for  golden-rod  or  bunches  of  dogwood, 
a  good-sized  pitcher  costing  only  twenty-five 
cents;  and  the  jars  about  six  inches  high  are 
convenient  for  a  few  large  flowers  when  the 
lead  holders  are  used.  A  variety  of  flower 
vases  can  be  bought  in  any  Japanese  store. 
Imagine  nasturtiums  or  climbing  ivy  planted 
in  the  little  Japanese  green  buckets,  sold  in 
pairs,  suspended  by  green  cords.  These,  with 
fern  balls  here  and  there  hanging  from  a  beam, 
would  make  a  charming  feature  for  the  piazza. 
A  small  iron  crane  with  a  ginger  jar  hanging 

from  it  is  another  effective  flower-holder. 

[  181  ] 


Home  Decoration 


These  ginger  jars  are  encased  with  wicker, 
and  are  suspended  by  the  handles. 

I  have  always  loved  flowers,  and  yet  I  have 
pitied  them,  taken  from  their  natural  sur¬ 
roundings,  with  shortened  stems  and  shorn 
leaves  and  stacked  into  a  vase  far  too  small 
for  them.  They  are  expected  to  look  beau¬ 
tiful!  Poor  things!  They  do  their  best,  but 
how  can  they  retain  their  beauty  with  such 
limitations  ? 

In  many  homes  flowers  are  a  dismal  failure. 
When  I  first  had  my  own  home,  I  managed 
my  garden  alone,  with  the  exception  of  a  man 
to  cut  the  grass  and  keep  the  paths  neat  and 
the  beds  weeded.  The  garden  was  only  about 
twice  the  size  of  the  house,  but  out  of  it  I  had 
vegetables,  strawberries,  raspberries,  pears, 
and  flowers  of  hardy  nature,  nine  months  of 
the  year.  When  we  took  the  house  the  garden 
was  only  a  ploughed  field  with  beautiful  old 
trees  in  it,  so  we  laid  it  out  with  wide  beds  all 
around  the  house.  My  special  joy  was  a  huge 
horseshoe  bed.  It  yielded  flowers  in  plenty. 
I  have  never  since  heard  of  a  garden  that  had 
so  many  flowers  in  it;  when  everything  seemed 
to  have  finished  blooming,  bushes  of  Michael- 

[  182  ] 


Arranging  Flowers  Artistically 

mas  daisies  still  kept  merrily  on.  I  well 
remember  the  yellow  marigolds!  How  ex¬ 
quisite  they  used  to  look  arranged  in  quaint 
Scandinavian  bowls  placed  on  a  low  table, 
or  on  a  shelf  high  up.  I  never  liked  their 
scent,  so  rarely  placed  them  on  the  dining- 
table,  but  I  cultivated  them  for  their  color, 
and  because  they  bloomed  when  other  flowers 
were  over.  I  always  cut  from  my  garden  with 
a  lavish  hand  for  my  home  and  friends,  yet 
it  never  seemed  bare,  and  I  learned,  while 
working  among  the  flowers,  to  arrange  them 
as  they  grew;  and  although  I  had  not  at  that 
time  heard  of  the  Japanese  arrangement  of 
flowers,  their  way  of  doing  them  came  to  me 
by  watching  their  growth,  and  by  heeding 
nature’s  lessons  I  learned  much  that  has  been 
useful  to  me  in  my  life’s  work. 


[183] 


PART  TWO 

HOME  DECORATION 


Part  Two 


CHAPTER  XIX 
What  to  Avoid  in  the  Home 

It  is  comparatively  easy  to  start  afresh  and 
buy  carefully  and  wisely  for  a  new  home,  yet 
for  those  who  have  already  all  they  need,  but 
are  conscious  of  needed  improvement,  a  few 
suggestions  may  be  helpful,  and  a  few  “do 
nots”  may  be  of  practical  use.  It  is  very  clear 
that  if  a  house  has  been  lived  in  a  long  time, 
and  the  furniture  and  pictures  have  always 
been  kept  in  the  same  places,  year  after  year, 
the  occupants  will  have  grown  accustomed  to 
their  surroundings,  while  the  casual  visitor 
will  marvel  that  such  delightful  people  can  go 
on  living  in  such  an  environment.  Who  is 
not  familiar  with  the  parlors  with  colorless 
felt  paper  on  the  wall,  without  a  break  of 
moulding,  frieze,  or  dado,  with  high  ceilings 
and  heavy  cornices  picked  out  in  many  colors 
and  centre  pieces  to  match;  on  the  floor  also 

[  187  ] 


Home  Decoration 


a  pale  carpet  with  roses  as  big  as  cabbages  ? 
The  doorways,  nearly  as  high  as  the  room, 
have  long  plain  chenille  portieres  flanked  on 
either  side  by  a  half-door  flat  against  the  wall. 
The  gas  fixture  is  out  of  reach.  There  are 
good  pictures  on  the  walls  in  heavy  carved 
gilt  frames,  with  huge  white  mats  out  of  all 
proportion.  They  are,  moreover,  hung  far 
too  high.  A  whatnot  full  of  useless  trash 
stands  against  a  wall,  topped  by  a  couple  of 
books  placed  crosswise  on  the  shelf. 

The  room  is  scrupulously  clean,  the  steel 
fire-irons  and  grate  shine  with  careful  polish¬ 
ing,  the  chairs  are  covered  with  figured  ma¬ 
terials  of  many  and  various  designs,  and  resting 
lightly  on  the  top  is  a  crocheted  antimacassar, 
with  small  ones  to  match  on  the  arms.  All 
has  been  costly  and  good  in  its  day,  so  that 
nothing  shows  the  signs  of  wear,  nor  will  it  in 
this  room  that  is  so  little  used  and  carefully 
preserved.  The  windows  have  long  curtains 
of  design  alien  to  that  already  in  the  room. 
These  meet  in  the  middle  and  are  looped 
tightly  back  with  tasselled  silk  loops.  Against 
the  glass  at  each  window  are  dead-white  Not¬ 
tingham  lace  curtains  of  monotonous  design. 

[188] 


What  to  Avoid  in  the  Home 

A  ponderous  round  table,  marble-topped,  with 
a  tall  onyx  lamp  in  the  centre,  crowned  with 
a  pink  and  gold  globe,  occupies  the  middle  of 
the  room.  The  sofa  against  the  wall  has  a 
waving  line  of  wood  with  fruit  carefully  carved. 
The  two  ends  form  easy  chairs,  and  are  cov¬ 
ered  with  “tidies”  to  protect  them  from  the 
head.  To  complete  the  picture,  there  is  a 
black-marble  mantel  of  correspondingly  bad 
design.  In  truth,  there  is  not  much  to  be  done 
if  all  these  decorations  are  to  remain.  Yet 
there  are  many  people,  comfortably  off,  who 
own  just  such  rooms,  and  though  they  do  not 
think  of  improving  their  surroundings,  are 
not  averse  to  spending  thousands  of  dollars 
on  an  automobile. 

Good  advice  for  such  people  who  can  afford 
it  is  to  make  a  clean  sweep;  redecorate  and 
furnish  under  careful  advice.  To  those,  how¬ 
ever,  who  are  conscious  of  needed  improve¬ 
ment,  yet  have  not  the  means  at  their  command 
for  many  needed  purchases,  a  few  improve¬ 
ments  can  be  suggested.  The  mantel  must  be 
painted  to  match  the  woodwork.  On  it  have 
a  cover  of  plain  velours  with  dull  gold  braid 
trimming.  A  frieze  of  paper  of  good  design 

[  189] 


Home  Decoration 


can  be  added  above  the  felt  paper  if  it  is  still 
too  clean  to  be  renewed.  Hang  pictures  on  a 
level  with  the  eye,  as  far  as  possible,  and  add 
others  to  form  little  groups  tastefully  arranged. 
The  large  table  need  not  assert  itself  in  the 
middle  of  the  room,  but  can  be  pushed  toward 
a  corner.  On  it  place  a  round  cloth  of  velours 
with  dull  gold  braid  to  hide  the  join.  A  brass 
student-lamp  might  replace  its  onyx  prede¬ 
cessor.  Possibly  hangings  for  the  doors  can  be 
found.  If  not,  buy  Arras  cloth,  which  will  not 
need  lining.  Have  the  chenille  curtains  torn 
apart  and  woven  with  other  colors  into  rag- 
carpet  rugs,  to  be  made  use  of  in  one  of  the 
bedrooms.  The  carpet  can  also  be  sent  to  a 
good  house,  where  it  can  be  made  into  pretty 
reversible  rugs.  There  would  be  about  fifteen 
yards  of  rugs  if  your  carpet  measured  sixty 
yards.  After  staining  the  floor,  a  few  Eastern 
rugs  could  be  bought,  or,  if  this  is  out  of  the 
question,  have  the  carpet  dyed  green  and 
made  into  rug  shape,  with  the  floor  stained  at 
the  edges.  The  heavy  curtains  must  hang 
straight,  and  if  too  long  must  be  shortened. 
There  should  be  a  low  seat  near  the  fire. 
The  piano  can  be  placed  with  its  back  to  the 

[  190  ] 


What  to  Avoid  in  the  Home 

room,  and  have  a  soft,  plain  drapery  on  the 
back,  hanging  from  a  sash  rod.  Against  this 
a  stand,  on  which  a  palm  or  Boston  fern  may 
be  placed,  will  add  to  the  general  improve¬ 
ment  of  the  room. 

If  there  is  a  tea-table  in  the  room  set  out 
with  cups  and  saucers,  banish  it.  The  maid 
can  bring  all  in  from  the  pantry  if  it  is  the 
custom  of  the  house  to  have  afternoon  tea, 
and  if  it  is  not  the  custom,  no  longer  put  up 
with  such  a  ridiculous  sham.  If  there  are 
little  knicknacks  around,  put  them  away, 
and  keep  only  the  pieces  of  good  proportions, 
good  designs,  and  good  coloring.  Avoid  all 
things  that  belittle  a  room  and  give  it  a  fussy 
appearance. 


[  I9I  1 


CHAPTER  XX 


Cottages  by  the  Sea  or  Lake 

Among  the  most  successful  inexpensive 
summer  cottages  are  those  covered  with 
shingles  stained  to  harmonize  with  the  sur¬ 
roundings.  At  the  shore,  on  an  exposed  bluff, 
a  soft  gray  will  melt  into  the  horizon,  while 
among  the  mountains  browns  and  greens 
seem  more  appropriate.  To-day  many  sum¬ 
mer  cottages  are  built  without  plaster,  often 
even  with  bare  boarding  between  the  scantling, 
and  a  filling  of  narrow  strips. 

What  a  wealth  of  color  can  be  brought  into 
these  homes  by  the  judicious  use  of  stain! 
A  dining-room  panelled  up  to  the  plate-shelf 
can  be  stained  green  below  the  shelf,  while 
against  this  green  background  some  Spanish 
pottery  and  gleaming  Russian  brass  will  bring 
into  the  room  all  the  decoration  needed.  The 
beams  and  floors  can  also  be  stained  green, 
while  mission  furniture  of  the  simplest  con¬ 
struction  can  be  finished  in  silver  gray.  Large 
[  192  ] 


Cottages  by  the  Sea  or  Lake 

blue-and-white  checked  gingham  curtains  with 
a  valance  across  the  wide  window  lend  an 
added  attraction,  and  the  window-seats,  cov¬ 
ered  with  Arras  cloth  in  that  exquisite  shade 
of  turquoise  blue,  harmonize  well  with  the 
green.  On  the  floor  a  large  Martha  Washing¬ 
ton  rug  of  turquoise  blue  with  Indian  designs 
in  greens  and  grays  would  complete  a  most 
charming  room.  The  chairs  might  have  seats 
of  rush  or  woven  squares  to  match  the  blue 
in  the  rug.  This  is  one  of  the  latest  ideas  for 
bungalow  chair  seats,  and  is  worthy  of 
consideration. 

If  portieres  are  needed,  blue  Arras  cloth 
should  be  obtained,  and  with  this  blue  china 
would  make  a  good  combination  if  the  right 
shade  could  be  found.  In  such  a  room 
quaint  sponge  china  of  many  colors  would 
not  be  amiss. 

The  living-room  walls  should  be  treated  in 
much  the  same  manner  as  those  in  the  dining¬ 
room,  by  using  browns  of  strongly  contrasted 
shades,  tobacco-brown  above  the  shelf  and 
between  the  beams  in  the  ceiling,  and  the 
rest  of  the  woodwork  a  rich  dark  brown. 
Book-cases  can  be  built  in  the  large  spaces, 
*3  [  193  1 


Home  Decoration 

and  in  the  small  spaces  also  one  might  have 
a  shelf  eight  inches  below  the  shelf  that  ex¬ 
tends  around  the  room.  Where  the  double 
shelf  is  put,  the  wood-bracket  supports  should 
be  below  the  bottom  shelf. 

The  furniture  in  this  room  should  be  mission 
style  stained  tobacco-brown,  with  cushions  of 
old  gold  Arras  cloth  and  portieres  of  the  same 
material.  Have  window-seats  wherever  pos¬ 
sible,  and  for  cushions  the  same  old  gold 
Arras  cloth  carries  out  the  color  scheme. 
Two  low  wicker  chairs  of  deep  red,  with 
Morris  velvet  cushions  in  red  and  yellow  will 
give  bright  color  to  the  room.  The  rugs  may 
be  Oriental  (or  domestic  copies),  but  they 
must  be  artistic.  Ugly  rugs  would  spoil  all, 
and,  unfortunately,  inexpensive  rugs  in  good 
colors  are  not  easily  found.  If  strict  economy 
must  be  enforced,  Moodji  rugs  in  yellows  and 
reds  are  suitable  and  artistic.  Either  raw-silk 
curtains  of  old  gold  or  coarse  scrim  stencilled 
with  red  and  brown  would  be  appropriate. 

Most  necessary  in  homes  of  this  sort  are  the 
fireplaces.  Sometimes  they  are  built  of  brick, 
but  oftener  of  stone  found  in  the  neighborhood. 
In  a  summer  house  on  the  Maine  coast  the 
1 194  ] 


Cottages  by  the  Sea  or  Lake 

lichen  was  left  clinging  to  these  stones,  and  it 
still  grows,  although  it  is  now  several  years 
since  it  was  put  into  the  house.  The  same 
mantel  has  one  long  stone  forming  the  shelf, 
supported  by  corbels. 

The  bedrooms  do  not  require  shelves,  and 
the  walls  can  be  stained  a  lighter  shade  than  in 
the  rooms  below.  The  walls  in  one  room 
might,  for  example,  be  painted  in  water-color 
either  pale  green  or  old  rose,  if  a  change  is 
desired  from  the  stained  wood  of  the  other 
rooms.  The  beamed  ceiling,  however,  must 
not  be  stained  too  dark.  The  best  shades 
would  be  neutral  tans  or  grays  for  the  stained 
walls,  since  the  colors  of  the  room  will  be 
furnished  by  the  curtains  and  furniture.  The 
latter  must  be  simple  and  yet  well  made.  Two 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars  will  furnish  about 
eight  rooms  in  cottage  mission  furniture,  which 
can  all  be  stained  to  order  in  less  than  three 
weeks. 

Half  the  beauty  of  cottage-furnishing  lies 
in  quaint,  pretty  curtains.  Omit  shades  and 
use  curtains  with  rings  sewed  on  the  inside 
hem,  running  on  a  small  sash  rod.  Choose 
colors  that  will  stand  the  sun,  such  as  muslins 
[  195 1 


Home  Decoration 


of  a  good  quality  with  small  vertical  bands  of 
flowers;  Turkey  red  is  not  to  be  discarded  if 
the  exposure  is  north,  and  is  very  suitable  for 
a  boy’s  room  or  a  den.  Oriental  prints,  in 
blues  or  reds,  also  wear  well. 

A  house  such  as  I  have  described  ^an  be 
furnished  for  five  or  six  hundred  dollars, 
omitting  Oriental  rugs  for  the  living-room. 
Few  pictures  and  ornaments  are  needed. 
Japanese  prints  framed  in  tiny  bamboo  frames, 
some  plaster  casts,  and  many  and  various 
crude  pieces  of  pottery  for  flowers  are  in 
keeping  with  the  surroundings,  and  lend  a 
distinct  air  of  novelty. 


[  196 1 


CHAPTER  XXI 


The  Decoration  of  a  Modern  Suburban 
House 

In  deciding  on  the  color  scheme  of  a  house, 
we  must  remember  that  the  rooms  must  be 
studied  in  relation  to  one  another  and  be  in 
harmony.  We  will  take,  as  an  example,  a 
suburban  house  containing  eleven  rooms,  with 
a  large  porch  and  surrounded  by  a  small 
garden.  We  will  suppose  the  living-room  is 
13  x  1 8,  and  has  windows  on  three  sides; 
next  to  it  is  a  small  parlor  8  x  10,  which  opens 
into  a  hall  about  11x15.  The  parlor  is  di¬ 
vided  from  the  hall  by  pillars,  so  the  color 
scheme  of  hall  and  parlor  must  be  the  same. 

The  first  point  to  be  considered  is  the  fur¬ 
niture.  Having  decided  on  mahogany  in  the 
hall,  living-room,  and  parlor,  we  will  choose 
yellow  papers  for  the  first-  and  last-mentioned, 
with  cream-tint  ceilings  and  ivory-white  wood¬ 
work.  The  treads  of  the  stairs  and  banisters 

are  all  to  be  of  white  with  a  mahogany  hand- 
1 197 1 


Home  Decoration 

rail.  The  walls  of  the  hall  would  look  well 
in  a  pure  colonial  yellow,  which  can  be  found 
among  felt  papers.  A  burlap  of  golden  brown 
could  be  used,  as  it  will  be  found  to  be  eco¬ 
nomical  in  the  end,  as  the  burlap  protects  the 
walls  where  they  get  the  hardest  wear.  Usu¬ 
ally  the  shape  of  the  hall  admits  of  very  little 
furniture :  a  chair,  a  small  table,  and  a  mirror 
are  about  all  that  are  necessary.  Against  the 
staircase  the  wide  seat  should  have  a  mattress 
covered  with  brown  leather.  The  coat  closet 
in  the  rear  provides  room  for  coats,  hats,  and 
umbrellas,  and  is  more  practical  than  a  hat- 
tree. 

If  there  are  hardwood  floors  throughout  the 
house,  it  is  advisable  to  have  rugs.  Hardwood 
floors  and  rugs  are  always  preferable  to  car¬ 
pets,  and  should  be  used  in  the  hall  with  long 
runners  on  the  stairs. 

The  parlor  with  its  white-ivory  woodwork 
can  have  a  two-toned  fabric  paper  of  a  deeper 
shade  of  yellow  than  the  hall.  Never  select  a 
smooth,  shiny  paper.  It  is  always  hard  and 
repellent,  holding  no  light,  and  softening  no 
reflections.  Among  the  English  papers  can 

be  found  dull  flat  surfaces  that  give  the  feeling 

[  198  ] 


Decoration  of  a  Suburban  House 

of  texture.  They  do  not  come  in  pale  yellow, 
but  have  a  suggestion  of  brown.  Mahogany 
furniture  and  yellow-brown  velvet  hangings 
harmonize  well  with  this  scheme,  together 
with  soft-toning  colors  in  the  Oriental  rugs. 
The  same  yellow-brown  velvet  could  be  used 
on  the  sofa,  and  a  variety  of  colors  in  the 
pillows,  as  long  as  they  are  in  a  subdued  key. 
When  a  sunny  yellow  is  used  for  wall  covering, 
pictures  and  pottery  have  a  charming  setting. 

The  living-room  should  offer  a  complete 
contrast.  The  walls  could  be  green,  either  of 
burlap  or  crepe  paper,  with  a  soft  green  for  the 
woodwork,  which  must  not  be  too  olive,  or  it 
will  look  brown  by  artificial  light.  If  a  figured 
paper  is  preferred,  a  gray,  blue,  and  green 
clouded  peacock-feather  design  would  make 
a  suitable  wall-covering.  The  one  I  have  in 
mind  is  made  by  Sanderson  of  London.  It 
is  blurred  and  dull,  with  no  definite  design, 
and  it  makes  a  fascinating  room  if  carefully 
carried  out.  Hangings  of  toning  color  would 
be  very  beautiful  with  it.  Many  good  fabrics 
can  be  stenciled.  The  silk  tapestries  of  apple 
green  shot  with  blue,  however,  blend  best 

with  this  cloudy  paper.  If  the  burlap  scheme 

[  199] 


Home  Decoration 

is  used,  Arras  cloth  or  velours  would  be  utilized 
for  hangings  and  furniture  coverings.  On  the 
ceiling  a  faint-green  paper  would  be  advisable. 

In  arranging  the  furniture,  have  large  roomy 
chairs  on  either  side  of  the  fireplace,  and  before 
the  fire  a  wide  sofa,  with  an  ample  supply  of 
cushions.  Behind  the  sofa  a  library  table 
with  the  usual  appointments  would  be  well 
placed.  A  large  Oriental  rug  should  be  chosen 
in  tones  of  dull  blue  and  old  reds. 

At  the  opposite  end  of  the  hall  we  usually 
find  the  dining-room.  The  furniture  for  this 
room  could  be  mission.  The  room  would  look 
well  in  a  shade  of  soft  Venetian  red.  A  two- 
toned  striped  paper  could  probably  be  found 
in  this  color.  Have  the  ceiling  of  ivory  white. 
The  woodwork  could  be  stained  dark  brown 
or  black,  to  match  the  color  of  the  furniture, 
and  against  this  background  the  silver  would 
look  very  effective.  A  wide  window  probably 
takes  up  much  of  the  wall  space,  and  the  fire¬ 
place  may  be  placed  in  the  corner.  Curtains 
of  raw  silk,  undyed,  would  tone  in  with  the 
red-and-black  scheme. 

The  bedrooms  would  be  pretty  painted 

ivory-white;  the  large  room  over  the  dining- 
[  200  ] 


Decoration  of  a  Suburban  House 

room  might  have  a  two-tone  yellow-striped 
paper,  with  chintz  hangings  of  yellow  roses 
and  green  leaves;  chair-covers  and  bed- 
valances  should  all  be  of  the  same  material. 
Here,  as  at  all  the  windows,  sash  curtains  of 
fine-dotted  Swiss  would  be  suitable,  and  would 
give  an  appearance  of  uniformity  from  the 
outside. 

Many  people  like  shades  of  green  sun-fast 
Holland  throughout  the  house,  but  white  with 
a  green  lining  would  also  be  very  appropriate 
for  the  sleeping-rooms. 

The  floors  all  being  of  hardwood,  Martha 
Washington  hand-woven  rugs  would  be  eco¬ 
nomical  and  suitable  for  the  bedrooms  and 
bathrooms.  They  come  in  beautiful  colors. 
A  set  of  small  green  rugs,  with  bright  yellow 
borders,  would  be  very  attractive  in  the  yellow 
bedroom. 

Another  room  could  have  bird’s-eye  maple 
furniture  and  a  white  enamelled  bed.  A  gray- 
blue  cheviot  paper  could  be  used  with  the 
love-bird  frieze;  the  scheme  could  be  carried 
out  in  gray-blue  cretonne  for  the  furniture 
covers  and  hangings. 

The  guest-room  might  be  in  lavender 

[  201  ] 


or 


Home  Decoration 

green  with  paper  of  clematis  or  wistaria.  A 
high  base  of  green  felt  paper  could  be  used, 
and  if  the  room  is  high  enough,  the  flowered 
paper  could  extend  on  to  the  ceiling  about  two 
feet,  the  rest  of  the  ceiling  being  left  the  same 
shade  as  the  background  of  the  figured  paper. 
There  is  a  lovely  white  linen  taffeta  fifty 
inches  wide,  with  a  shower  of  wistaria,  which 
makes  a  pretty  bedroom-hanging.  The  bed, 
if  preferred,  could  have  the  spread  and 
valances  of  the  same  Swiss  as  the  sash  cur¬ 
tains,  and  this  over  lavender  sateen  would  be 
ideal  for  a  guest-room.  The  furniture  would 
be  effective  in  bird’s-eye  maple;  the  bed 
could  be  white  enamel.  At  present  it  is  the 
fashion  to  cover  the  pillows  with  a  long  strip 
of  the  same  material  as  the  bedspread,  trimmed 
on  the  four  sides.  It  is  laid  over  the  pillows 
and  hangs  down  at  each  side  the  same  length 
as  the  spread.  I  prefer  this  to  any  other 
pillow-cover,  since  the  bolster  rolls  take  up 
so  much  room  when  not  in  use. 

The  rugs  in  this  room  would  be  very  artistic 
if  made  of  green  material  and  tan  warp.  The 
borders  could  be  the  same  shade  of  lavender 
as  the  taffeta,  or  tan. 

[  202  ] 


Decoration  of  a  Suburban  House 

If  the  nursery  is  on  the  west  side  of  the 
house,  the  color  scheme  could  be  ecru  with 
a  dado  of  Cecil  Aldin’s  charming  poster  pic¬ 
tures.  “Noah’s  Ark”  or  the  “Chickens  and 
Ducks”  are  a  never-ending  delight  to  children. 
If  there  is  a  low  dado  of  plain  paper,  and  just 
above  this  the  frieze,  the  children  would  have 
the  pictures  within  their  range  of  vision.  They 
are  apt  to  forget  them  when  they  are  placed 
too  high,  whereas  at  the  height  suggested  they 
are  high  enough  to  be  seen  but  not  destroyed 
by  chubby  little  fingers.  On  the  plain  spaces 
above,  simple  framed  pictures  of  Cecil  Aldin’s 
can  be  hung  to  give  the  right  balance  to  the 
room.  Have  the  rugs  fairly  heavy  and  larger 
than  in  the  bedrooms,  so  that  the  children 
cannot  trip  when  romping. 

In  the  bathroom  have  rugs  that  can  be  con¬ 
stantly  washed,  and  tiled  walls  and  floors. 

Let  the  maids’  rooms  be  pretty  and  attract¬ 
ive,  with  dainty  curtains  and  pretty,  cheerful 
wall-papers;  the  furniture  may  be  inexpensive, 
but  let  it  be  artistic.  They  know  when  a  room 
has  been  carefully  furnished,  and  give  better 
service  in  return  when  they  see  there  has  been 
much  thought  for  their  comfort. 

[  203  ] 


CHAPTER  XXII 


Describing  Some  Interesting  Rooms 

A  visit  to  England  reveals  many  ideas  and 
hints  on  home  decoration.  The  following 
chapter  will  deal  with  a  few  interesting  rooms 
which  may  be  of  service  to  American  home¬ 
makers. 

The  Hall 

The  front  door  opens  into  an  entrance  hall 
which  is  unique  in  its  treatment.  The  leaded 
glass  in  the  vestibule  doors,  treated  in  a  most 
original  way,  strikes  the  eye  with  richness  of 
color  and  offsets  the  burnished-copper  orna¬ 
ments  on  the  shelves.  The  woodwork  is  of 
dull  oak  panelled  to  the  tops  of  the  doors, 
where  it  joins  a  frieze  of  plaster  stained  a  rich 
copper,  with  a  design  of  black  animals.  This 
was  so  strong  that  it  would  have  been  weird 
and  uncanny  in  a  sitting-room.  Yet  it  just 
suited  such  a  house,  and  prepared  one  for  sur- 

[  204.] 


Some  Interesting  Rooms 

prises  ahead.  This  frieze  joins  on  to  a  vaulted 
roof. 

The  main  hall  was  treated  somewhat  differ¬ 
ently,  although  the  woodwork  was  of  the  same 
material.  The  panels,  instead  of  being  solid 
oak,  were  left  with  the  rough  plaster  showing, 
and  stained  pale  brown  to  match  the  color  of 
the  wood.  Above  this  panelling  the  walls  were 
stencilled  up  to  the  ceiling,  which  was  laid  out 
in  sections,  with  a  flat  moulding.  The  very 
strong  supports  to  the  ceilings  were  a  dis¬ 
tinctive  feature.  The  wall  panels  themselves 
were  first  stencilled  in  outline  in  blue  and  brown 
on  a  white  ground,  and  afterward  filled  in 
with  red  and  green. 

The  furniture  is  large,  massive,  and  covered 
with  bright-green  leather.  The  mantelpiece, 
simple  but  effective,  was  made  of  gray  Hopton 
wood  stone,  unpolished,  with  metal  work  of 
burnished  iron  and  polished  brass.  The  rugs 
carry  out  the  color  scheme  of  the  walls,  and 
are  thick  and  heavy. 

The  Dining-room 

The  dining-room  is  the  most  beautiful  room 
in  the  house.  Although  very  simply  furnished, 

[  205  ] 


Home  Decoration 


the  decoration  of  the  walls  is  extremely  decor¬ 
ative,  owing  especially  to  the  large  panels  in 
fresco  from  Tennyson’s  “Princess,”  painted 
on  to  the  rough  plaster  at  either  end  of  the 
room  and  over  the  mantelpiece.  The  arches 
over  the  two  end  panels  and  the  pilasters  at 
either  side  of  the  mantelpiece  are  stencilled  in 
green,  black,  and  red  on  an  ivory-white  back¬ 
ground.  The  remainder  of  the  wall  space  is 
decorated  in  two  shades  of  green,  with  touches 
of  brown,  on  the  rough  gray  plaster.  There 
are  tables  so  constituted  that  they  can  be  put 
together  and  used  as  one.  When  the  family 
is  small  and  only  one  table  is  used,  the  others 
can  be  placed  around  the  room  with  crystals 
or  vases  on  them.  This  seems  a  very  good 
plan,  because  had  there  been  the  ordinary 
table  minus  the  extra  leaves,  it  would  have 
been  too  small  for  the  room.  The  lines  of  the 
furniture  are  delicately  graceful.  The  chairs 
are  covered  with  brown  leather  to  match  the 
plain  rug  of  brown. 

The  room  is  well  lighted  by  an  electric 
fixture  of  glass  and  copper  hung  from  the 
ceiling  and  many  side  brackets  of  similar 
design. 

[  206  ] 


Some  Interesting  Rooms 


The  Drawing-room 

The  drawing-room  is  very  large,  with  pre¬ 
dominant  colors  of  cream,  dead  pink,  and 
green.  These  were  most  delightfully  blended. 
The  room  gives  a  feeling  of  rest  and  quiet 
through  the  medium  of  its  indescribable  qual¬ 
ity  of  color.  Everything  in  it  is  artistic,  and 
each  piece  has  been  made  for  its  especial  use. 
The  rugs  are  thick  and  soft  to  tread  upon, 
with  centres  of  old-rose  color  and  narrow 
borders  of  green  and  cream.  They  were  made 
to  order  in  Scotland,  and  deserve  to  be  more 
widely  known  in  this  country,  where  they 
have  not  yet  been  introduced. 

The  walls  are  of  small  oblong  panels 
painted  ivory  white  to  match  the  rest  of  the 
woodwork.  At  each  end  of  the  room  a  panel 
of  bright  silks  on  an  iridescent  purple  back¬ 
ground  gives  a  splendid  color  effect.  The 
ceiling  and  frieze  are  cream,  with  a  faint 
stencil  design  in  old  rose  on  the  frieze  to  bring 
the  walls  and  ceiling  into  closer  harmony. 
Some  of  the  furniture  is  of  painted  ivory, 
although  a  few  chairs,  the  tables,  and  cabinets 
are  of  very  brown  English  mahogany. 

[  207  ] 


Home  Decoration 


The  feature  of  the  room  is  the  mantelpiece 
of  unpolished  cream  marble.  Above  this  there 
is  a  panel  of  mosaics  glowing  with  color  and 
decorative  feeling.  The  chairs  have  loose 
cushions  of  the  same  silk  and  linen  tapestry 
that  is  on  the  walls.  The  baum,  or  round 
settee,  is  also  so  covered,  while  the  settle  by 
the  fire,  as  a  contrast,  has  cushions  of  plain 
material. 

There  are  no  shades  in  this  room,  but  in¬ 
stead  linen  curtains  running  easily  on  traverse 
cords.  Long  curtains  hang  at  the  side  of  each 
window,  made  of  the  same  tapestry  which  is 
used  throughout  the  room.  A  few  ornaments 
and  flowers  prettily  arranged  give  the  finish¬ 
ing  touches  to  a  room  alike  artistic,  harmo¬ 
nious,  and  homelike. 

The  Morning  Room 

This  is  another  room  possessing  a  charm 
all  its  own.  The  ceiling  frieze  and  woodwork 
are  white.  The  panels  and  the  walls  are  filled 
with  blue  linen,  stencilled  with  a  design  in 
green,  purple,  and  white,  which  is  extremely 
effective.  As  the  room  is  used  as  a  library, 
several  glass  book-cases  have  been  built  in  the 

[208] 


Some  Interesting  Rooms 

lower  part  of  the  walls.  The  desk  is  an  original 
piece  of  furniture,  very  graceful  in  design, 
with  ivory  inlay  adding  much  to  the  beauty 
of  detail.  Some  green  blown  glass  made  on 
the  Clyde  adds  the  necessary  decorative  touch. 
There  is  a  folding  mahogany  table  with  drop 
leaves,  which  holds  more  of  the  green-glass 
flower  receptacles.  The  rugs  are  soft  green 
to  harmonize  with  the  brown-green  tapestry- 
covered  furniture.  The  room  is  decidedly 
dainty.  The  coloring  is  unusual,  yet  does 
not  impart  a  trivial  atmosphere. 

The  Smoking-room 

The  woodwork  is  English  oak,  unfinished 
and  unwaxed.  The  mouldings  are  very  heavy, 
and  give  a  feeling  of  support  to  the  rich 
frieze.  The  dado  is  filled  with  Japanese 
matting.  Above  this  the  rough-plastered  wall 
is  painted  a  rich  cream.  The  frieze  is  stencilled 
with  heavy  colors,  and  has  for  its  chief  charm 
the  daring  introduction  of  metal  work.  Small 
pieces  of  polished  iron  are  hammered  into  the 
wall,  and  yet  smaller  pieces  of  brass  are  intro¬ 
duced  at  regular  intervals,  to  constitute  a  rich, 
jewelled  effect.  The  bright  fire  in  the  grate, 

H  [  209  ] 


Home  Decoration 

throwing  a  reflection  here  and  there  on  the 
frieze,  gives  a  most  lustrous  and  rich  appear¬ 
ance. 

The  furniture  is  of  oak  covered  with  apple- 
green  leather.  The  same  Scotch  rugs  are  used 
here  as  in  the  other  rooms,  the  centres  being 
green  of  the  same  shade  as  the  leather,  with  a 
darker  shade  of  green  for  the  border.  The 
curtains  are  not  heavy,  being  made  of  ecru 
linen  similar  to  those  in  the  drawing-room, 
two  sets  to  each  window,  hung  one  above  the 
other.  The  windows  have  a  border  of  leaded 
glass  introducing  the  colors  of  the  room.  The 
feeling  of  color  value  has  been  as  carefully 
considered  as  the  outline  of  every  piece  of 
furniture.  There  is  a  feeling  of  completeness 
here,  as  in  every  room  of  this  most  interesting 
house.  This  is  a  house  in  which  the  colors 
used  would  have  produced  an  extremely  garish 
effect  unless  each  room  had  been  studied  sep¬ 
arately,  and  as  one  of  a  whole. 


1  210  J 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


How  Some  Craftworkers  Fitted  Up  Their 
Home 

Among  the  many  young  people  who  become 
clever  craftsmen,  how  comparatively  few  put 
their  knowledge  to  really  practical  account! 
While  the  enthusiasm  lasts,  they  will  make 
things  for  sale,  creating  beautiful  articles  for 
the  home  till  these  become  a  drug  on  the 
market,  because  so  many  other  craftworkers 
are  making  exactly  the  same  kind  of  things. 
If  this  knowledge  could  be  used  in  making 
useful  and  beautiful  things  for  their  own 
houses,  how  much  better  it  would  be,  and  an 
added  interest  would  be  given  to  the  making 
of  each  special  piece  for  a  special  purpose. 

The  writer  came  across  a  family  who  have 
just  succeeded  in  getting  together  an  altogether 
livable  and  individual  home.  Each  member 
of  the  family  did  his  or  her  part.  The  father 

and  eldest  son  being  engaged  in  business,  it 

[  211  ] 


Home  Decoration 


fell  to  the  lot  of  the  mother  and  two  daughters 
and  a  younger  son  to  equip  the  house  with  all 
its  appointments,  the  greater  part  being  done 
in  the  summer  months,  which  is  a  less  enjoy¬ 
able  but  a  more  useful  occupation  than  simply 
having  a  good  time. 

The  two  daughters  had  each  taken  a  course 
in  handcrafts,  and  had  acquired  some  skill 
in  making  brass  and  copper,  in  stencilling  and 
embroidery,  and  the  boy  had  already  made 
some  excellent  furniture  of  sound,  simple  con¬ 
struction,  showing  some  really  good  carving. 

Having  lived  in  the  city  while  they  were 
being  educated,  they  had  planned  when  their 
schooldays  were  over  to  live  in  the  country, 
and  had  found  a  house  for  sale  very  near  a 
farm  where  they  had  often  spent  the  vacation 
months.  They  spent  the  summer  boarding  at 
this  farm  and  made  temporary  workshops  in 
the  hen-house,  where  they  made  everything 
that  was  within  their  scope  with  their  own 
hands. 

The  new  house  was  beautifully  situated  on 
the  side  of  a  hill,  among  clumps  of  trees,  and 
overlooked  the  Hudson  River.  Its  close  prox¬ 
imity  to  a  railroad  station  made  it  an  easy 

[212  ] 


A  Craftworkers’  Home 

matter  to  reach  New  York  in  little  over  half 
an  hour. 

The  old  home  in  Brooklyn  had  held  a 
medley  of  commonplace  furniture,  and  gay- 
colored  carpets  of  deplorable  design.  These 
they  disposed  of  by  sending  to  auction,  re¬ 
taining  only  the  silver,  glass,  bed-  and  table- 
linen,  and  a  few  pieces  of  mahogany  furniture. 
The  least  worn  of  the  carpets  were  sent  to  a 
place  where  carpets  were  torn  apart,  cleaned, 
and  woven  into  rugs,  and  came  in  very  useful 
as  large  rugs  for  the  dining-room  and  living- 
room. 

While  moving  they  came  across  an  old  hand- 
loom  that  had  been  in  the  family  at  least  a 
hundred  years.  They  remembered  what  beau¬ 
tiful  rag  rugs  their  grandmother  had  woven 
years  ago,  and  how  she  had  sometimes  shown 
them  how  to  make  intricate  border  patterns. 
She  had  been  somewhat  of  an  authority  on 
color  in  her  day,  and  made  her  dyes  from  roots 
and  barks  that  grew  around  the  farm.  These 
recipes  had  been  carefully  put  away,  and  it 
was  planned  that  their  mother  should  try  her 
hand  at  weaving,  as  she  had  acquired  some 
knowledge  of  the  art  in  her  youth,  as  she  had 

[  213 1 


Home  Decoration 


often  assisted  her  mother  in  the  old  days.  She 
also  remembered  how  her  mother  evolved 
beautiful  colors  from  her  dye-pot,  and  felt 
that  skill  would  soon  come  by  practice. 

The  new  house  had  never  been  lived  in,  as 
it  had  been  built  for  a  newly  married  couple 
who,  on  account  of  inheriting  property  in  an¬ 
other  part  of  the  country,  had  never  occupied 
the  house. 

Some  of  the  walls  were  rough-cast,  and  the 
woodwork  had  not  been  painted  or  stained. 
Large  open  fireplaces  of  local  stone  were 
already  in  the  sitting-room,  while  the  bed¬ 
rooms  were  equipped  with  well-designed  wood¬ 
en  mantelpieces,  with  red-brick  hearths  and 
facings. 

Two  of  the  third-story  rooms  were  turned 
into  workshops,  and  many  happy  hours  were 
spent  in  them.  Arm-chairs,  tables,  and  bureaus 
were  gradually  finished  and  brought  forth  to 
fill  their  allotted  spaces.  A  glass  closet  built 
to  a  recess  and  a  sideboard  built  on  mission 
lines  were  especially  interesting  in  the  dining¬ 
room.  The  glass  doors  were  leaded,  while 
large  polished-iron  hinges  and  knobs  were 
made  by  one  of  the  daughters.  Andirons  and 
[  214  ] 


A  Craftworkers’  Home 

fire-sets  of  polished  iron,  having  the  appearance 
of  pewter,  gave  the  decorative  note  needed. 
Some  beautiful  old  pewter  plates  for  the  side¬ 
board  and  mantel  had  been  picked  up  for  a 
trifle  in  the  slums  of  New  York,  and  these 
seemed  just  the  touch  of  decoration  needed. 

The  woodwork  and  furniture  were  stained 
black,  while  the  rough-cast  walls  were  painted 
a  pure  corn  color.  The  ceiling  between  the 
beams  was  painted  a  pale  shade  of  yellow. 
The  dining-table  was  long  and  narrow,  and 
had  tenons  and  pins  to  secure  it  at  either  end. 
This  had  been  made  while  the  son  was  learning 
carpentry  in  Brooklyn,  and  it  was  designed 
so  that  it  could  be  taken  apart  in  a  very  few 
minutes. 

Window-seats  and  settles  were  made  for 
several  of  the  rooms,  and  gave  extra  seating 
capacity  while  not  occupying  much  space. 
With  the  help  of  a  jobbing  upholsterer,  who 
worked  by  the  day,  hair  mattresses  were  made 
for  all  the  settles  and  window-seats  at  less 
than  half  the  price  they  would  otherwise  have 
cost. 

The  daughter,  Edith,  did  some  effective 
decoration  in  the  hall.  The  walls  were  left 

[  215  ] 


Home  Decoration 


the  natural  gray  of  the  plaster,  and  were 
rough-cast.  The  woodwork  had  been  stained 
almost  black.  At  the  sides  of  each  door  she 
painted  the  trunk  of  an  oak-tree,  while  the 
branches  extended  above  the  doors  and  formed 
a  frieze.  If  two  doors  were  twelve  feet  apart, 
another  tree  trunk  was  painted  in  the  middle 
of  the  space  to  support  the  branches,  making 
when  finished  a  clever  and  interesting  piece  of 
decoration. 

A  living-room  of  ample  proportions  con¬ 
tained  a  gray  stone  fireplace,  surmounted  by 
a  solid  stone  shelf  supported  by  corbels. 
Almost  all  the  lower  wall  spaces  were  fitted 
with  book-shelves.  Burlap  in  a  soft  tone  of 
blue  green  had  been  nailed  on  the  wall,  and 
was  held  in  place  by  slats  of  wood  four  inches 
wide  and  half  an  inch  thick.  The  burlap  did 
not  extend  along  the  back  of  the  book-shelves, 
though,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  a  piece  of  the  same 
material  was  tacked  on  the  back  of  each 
book-case  instead  of  a  wooden  back,  before  it 
was  finally  put  in  place.  The  furniture  made 
for  the  living-room  was  of  craftsman  design, 
and  was  held  together  by  mortise  and  pin, 
giving  strength  and  dignity  to  it. 

[216] 


A  Craftworkers’  Home 


The  room  intended  for  a  reception-room  or 
parlor  had  a  high  colonial  wooden  mantelpiece 
with  dull-green  tiles,  so  it  was  decided  to  have 
this  room  different  from  the  others.  Instead 
of  making  any  of  the  furniture,  they  decided 
to  keep  to  antique  mahogany  of  colonial 
design.  A  couple  of  card-tables,  four  hand¬ 
some  chairs  with  claw-feet,  belonging  formerly 
to  their  grandmother,  made  a  good  beginning. 

The  eldest  son  was  a  pupil  in  an  architect’s 
office  in  the  city,  but  in  the  evening  he  found 
time  to  make  drawings  of  simple  bedroom  fur¬ 
niture,  and  the  younger  brother  made  the 
furniture  out  of  chestnut  wood  from  these 
designs.  The  furniture  for  each  room  was 
stained  a  different  color.  It  was  difficult  to 
say  which  was  the  more  beautiful — the  silver- 
gray  or  the  deep  indigo-blue — while  the  green 
set  vied  with  the  brown  for  popularity. 

The  hardware  was  especially  designed  by 
the  youngest  daughter  to  suit  each  room. 
Repousse  copper  and  brass  and  wrought-iron 
hinges  and  door  plates  were  among  the  most 
beautiful  things  that  were  made  for  this  unique 
home.  The  beds  were  severely  simple,  con¬ 
sisting  of  strong,  square  posts  with  a  head- 
[  217  ] 


Home  Decoration 


board  and  footboard  containing  a  panel  in 
each  board.  These  were  made  to  fit  the 
springs  of  beds  that  had  formerly  been  in  use 
in  the  old  home. 

The  trims  were  stained  to  match  each  set  of 
furniture ;  even  the  floors  were  like  the  wood¬ 
work. 

The  mother  had  mastered  the  difficulties  of 
weaving,  and  had  made  rugs  of  all  sizes  for 
the  bedrooms.  When  the  right  colors  could 
not  be  obtained  in  new  materials,  she  had 
dyed  unbleached  muslin  the  exact  shade  she 
needed.  The  rugs  in  the  blue  room  were  made 
on  white  warp,  while  the  weft  was  made  of 
deep  indigo  denim,  three  borders  of  which 
at  each  end  of  the  rug,  with  twists  of  blue  and 
white  to  outline  the  borders,  looked  especially 
attractive  on  the  deep  blue  of  the  floor.  As 
the  rugs  were  all  washable,  it  seemed  advisable 
to  have  them  in  all  the  bedrooms. 

The  curtains  were  made  from  large  linen 
sheets,  as  the  family  already  possessed  con¬ 
siderably  more  than  were  needed  for  ordinary 
use.  One  set  was  stencilled  for  the  blue  room 
in  a  deep  indigo  design  of  field  poppies,  and  a 
full  valance  at  each  window  showing  a  liberal 

[218] 


A  Craftworkers’  Home 


supply  of  poppies  gave  an  air  of  quaintness 
to  the  room.  Bureau-covers  and  bedspreads 
were  also  made  to  match.  The  walls  of  this 
odd  room  were  covered  with  a  plain  white 
paper,  and  yet  there  was  not  the  chilly  effect 
given  that  one  might  expect,  as  the  blue  of  the 
woodwork  had  such  depth  of  tone. 

The  green  room  had  a  figured  paper  of  nas¬ 
turtiums  in  reds  and  yellows  on  a  cream 
ground.  The  curtains  were  made  of  green  art 
ticking,  and  had  a  stencilled  border  decoration 
of  nasturtiums. 

The  brown  room  had  plain  yellow  paper  on 
the  walls,  and  curtains,  bedspreads,  and  chair- 
covers  of  a  voyant  flowered  chintz,  with  yellow 
flowers  and  green  leaves.  A  large  grandfather- 
chair  was  also  covered  with  chintz,  which  was 
gathered  at  the  bottom  to  match  the  curtain 
valances. 

The  silver  room  was  very  unusual.  The 
tone  of  paper  that  was  needed  could  not  be 
found,  but  one  of  the  daughters,  whose  room 
this  was  to  be,  decided  to  add  a  final  coat  of 
paint  to  the  walls.  Two  coats  of  white  were 
first  painted  by  a  painter,  leaving  a  smooth, 
glossy  finish  for  the  artist  to  work  on.  She 

[  219  ] 


Home  Decoration 


painted  quick  swirls  of  the  brush  of  deep 
purple-green,  with  flashes  of  silver  glinting 
through  the  dark  tones  in  waves  of  color. 
This  treatment  made  a  most  beautiful  wall 
surface.  The  curtains  were  of  hand-made 
Russian  crash  of  a  beautiful  tone  of  silver  gray. 
They  were  decorated  with  outline  embroidery 
in  a  bold  flower  motif  in  shades  of  purple  and 
green.  Some  wicker  chairs  were  stained  gray, 
and  were  supplied  with  cushions  to  match 
the  curtains,  bedspread,  and  bureau-covers. 

There  were  two  bedrooms  containing  green 
furniture,  but  each  room  was  treated  differ¬ 
ently.  The  walls  were  rough-cast  and  tinted 
a  pale  green,  and  were  divided  into  panelled 
spaces  by  strips  of  flat  wood.  Each  of  these 
spaces  was  outlined  with  a  checkerboard 
stencil  design  in  heavy  green.  The  curtains 
were  of  cream  Oriental  cotton,  trimmed  with 
heavy  hand-made  fringe.  The  bedspread  and 
bureau  scarf  matched  the  curtains.  The  rag 
rugs  were  made  of  denim  the  same  shade  of 
green  as  the  walls.  A  checkerboard  design 
was  woven  in  the  borders  in  cream  and  green. 

All  the  bedrooms  were  particularly  charm¬ 
ing;  each  one  was  so  unique  that  it  was  hard 
[  220  ] 


A  Craftworkers’  Home 

to  tell  which  was  the  more  beautiful.  Each 
possessed  a  charm  of  its  own.  When  making 
the  furniture  it  was  found  to  be  more  eco¬ 
nomical  to  buy  the  bedroom  chairs  from  a 
factory.  These  were  delivered  in  the  rough, 
and  were  stained  to  go  with  each  set  of  fur¬ 
niture.  They  had  seats  of  coarse  rush,  and 
were  made  from  good  designs.  In  some  cases 
small  cushions  were  added  to  the  rockers  to 
make  them  more  comfortable.  Most  of  the 
furniture  was  made  before  the  family  moved 
into  the  house,  but  they  still  have  a  consider¬ 
able  amount  of  work  to  do.  More  escutcheons 
and  hinges  are  needed,  and  several  pairs  of 
curtains  have  yet  to  be  stencilled.  Portieres 
are  now  under  way,  and  promise  to  be  works 
of  art.  Those  intended  for  the  living-room 
are  being  made  of  crinkled  tapestry  of  a 
beautiful  shade  of  iridescent  greenish-blue 
with  an  applique  design  in  shaded  velvet. 
Odd  stitches,  couching,  and  gold  cord  play 
an  important  part  in  the  decoration  of  the 
hangings.  Some  antique  Japanese  silks  are 
introduced  with  wonderful  effects.  A  dragon 
or  crepe  is  enriched  with  scales  of  cloth  of  gold, 

worked  with  a  few  touches  of  long  and  short 

[  221  ] 


Home  Decoration 

stitches.  When  embellished  with  cloth  of 
gold  and  needle  painting,  the  effect  of  the 
Japanese  applique  is  extremely  rich,  and  when 
the  colorings  are  softly  blended  they  fairly 
melt  into  their  surroundings. 

Before  long  this  delightful  home  will  be 
completed.  The  pleasure  and  interest  it  has 
already  given  the  young  craftworkers  will 
not  cease  when  the  work  is  finished,  as  they 
will  feel  a  pride  in  the  contemplation  of  their 
handiwork. 


[  222  J 


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